Library · Introduction to Chinese grammar
2 Saying no
What you'll learn How to say not with 不 and 没, and what someone has or hasn't got with 有 and 没有.
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2.1 Not: 不
不 before a verb says not. Nothing else in the sentence changes, and there is no word like do to add.
大卫不是中国人。大衛不是中國人。
David isn't Chinese.
我不喜欢狗。我不喜歡狗。
I don't like dogs.
李月不喝牛奶。
Li Yue doesn't drink milk.
王明不会开车。王明不會開車。
Wang Ming can't drive.
不 goes before 是, where English puts not after is.
✗大卫是不中国人。大衛是不中國人。
David isn't Chinese.
不 says no about now, about habits, and about what is still to come.
李月明天不来。李月明天不來。
Li Yue isn't coming tomorrow.
Before a word that describes, 不 takes the place of 很.
这个菜不贵。這個菜不貴。
This dish isn't expensive.
Note
不 is said bù, but bú before a word in the fourth tone: 不是, 不去, 不贵不貴.
1.3 Saying what something is like: 很, and no 是, 3.1 Yes or no: 吗
2.2 Didn't: 没沒
For something that didn't happen, the word for not is 没沒. It goes before the verb, as 不 does.
大卫昨天没来。大衛昨天沒來。
David didn't come yesterday.
我没看见王明。我沒看見王明。
I didn't see Wang Ming.
今天早上我没喝茶。今天早上我沒喝茶。
I didn't have any tea this morning.
There is no 了 with 没沒: 了 says something was done, and 没沒 that it wasn't.
✗大卫昨天没来了。大衛昨天沒來了。
David didn't come yesterday.
With 还還 before it, 没沒 says not yet.
我还没吃饭。我還沒吃飯。
I haven't eaten yet.
没有沒有 before a verb says the same as 没沒, a little more fully.
他没有给我打电话。他沒有給我打電話。
He didn't call me.
是 and words that describe keep 不, even about the past.
昨天不冷。
It wasn't cold yesterday.
2.3 Having: 有 and 没有沒有
有 says someone has something.
王明有很多书。王明有很多書。
Wang Ming has a lot of books.
我今天下午有课。我今天下午有課。
I have a class this afternoon.
Its no is always 没有沒有, never 不有.
我今天没有时间。我今天沒有時間。
I don't have time today.
✗我今天不有时间。我今天不有時間。
I don't have time today.
Asked with 吗嗎, 有 answers yes and 没有沒有 no.
你有哥哥吗？——没有，我有一个姐姐。你有哥哥嗎？——沒有，我有一個姐姐。
Do you have an older brother? No, I have an older sister.
In speech, 没有沒有 is often just 没沒.
没问题。沒問題。
No problem.
他没钱买电脑。他沒錢買電腦。
He hasn't got the money for a computer.