Saying no: 不 and 没
不 for habits, wishes and the future; 没 for what didn't happen and for 有.
Chinese has two words for "not". 不 bù denies habits, wishes, the future, adjectives and 是. 没 méi, or 没有 méiyǒu, denies 有 and says that something didn't happen or hasn't happened yet.
| 不 bù | 没 méi | |
|---|---|---|
| habits, now | 我不吃肉。 I don't eat meat. | |
| wishes, the future | 我明天不去。 I'm not going tomorrow. | |
| adjectives, 是 | 不贵 not expensive, 不是 isn't | |
| the past | 我昨天没去。 I didn't go yesterday. | |
| not yet | 我还没吃饭。 I haven't eaten yet. | |
| 有 | 我没有车。 I don't have a car. |
- Tā bù chī ròu.He doesn't eat meat.
- Wǒ zuótiān méi qù shàngbān.I didn't go to work yesterday.
- Wǒ hái méi chī fàn.I haven't eaten yet.
Yes and no
There is no one word for "yes" or "no". Answer with the verb or adjective of the question, or its negative. 对 duì "right" and 是的 shì de "that's so" agree with a statement.
- "Nǐ xǐhuan ma?" "Xǐhuan.""Do you like it?" "I do."
- "Nǐ qù ma?" "Bú qù.""Are you going?" "No."
Don't: 别 and 不要
To tell someone not to do something, put 别 bié or 不要 bú yào before the verb.
- Bié dānxīn.Don't worry.
- Bú yào zài zhèr chōu yān.Don't smoke here.
No need, never mind
不用 bú yòng is "no need": 不用谢 "no need to thank me". 没关系 méi guānxi is "it doesn't matter".
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Questions and negation cards.
How do you say "I don't drink coffee", as a habit?
我不喝咖啡。
How do you say "I didn't go yesterday"?
我昨天没去。
How do you say "I haven't eaten yet"?
我还没吃饭。
Does a sentence with 没 take 了?
No: 我没去, not 我没去了.
How do you answer "Yes" to 你喜欢吗？ (Do you like it?)
喜欢。
How do you say "Don't worry"?
别担心 (bié dānxīn).
不 or 没: which goes with 有?
没: 没有.
How do you say "I'm not going tomorrow"?
我明天不去。