{{Grammar Box}} Both [[不|不 (bù)]] and [[没|没 (méi)]] can be placed in front of a verb or adjective to negate its meaning. However, 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are not usually interchangeable, so it's important to learn when you must use 不 (bù) as opposed to 没 (méi), and vice versa. == 不 (bù) Negates in the Present and Future == 不 (bù) is generally used to negate an action that you ''do not want to do'' or ''do not intend to do'' (in the future). So expressing things like "I don't want to go" or "I'm not going" would be uses of 不 (bù). ===Structure===
Subj. + 不 + Verb
=== Examples === Whether it's "don't wanna do it" or "not gonna do it," use 不 (bù):
* 我 今天 晚上 不 喝酒。Wǒ jīntiān wǎnshang bù hējiǔ.Tonight I'm not going to drink. * 爸爸 不 回来 吃 晚饭。Bàba bù huílái chī wǎnfàn.Dad is not coming back to eat dinner. * 老板 明天 不 来 。Lǎobǎn míngtiān bù lái.The boss won't come tomorrow. * 我 知道 这 个 周末 不 下雨。Wǒ zhīdào zhège zhōumò bù xiàyǔ.I know it's not going to rain this weekend. * 你 女朋友 不 跟 你 一起 去 吗？Nǐ nǚpéngyou bù gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù ma? Is your girlfriend not going with you?
== 不 (bù) Negates Habitual Actions == 不 (bù) can be used to negate habitual actions, to express what you just aren't in the habit of doing, such as eating meat, or watching TV, or drinking alcohol. This is simply done by placing 不 (bù) in front of the verb. ===Structure===
Subj. + 不 + Verb + Obj.
===Examples===
* 我 不 吃 肉。Wǒ bù chī ròu.I don't eat meat. * 你们 都 不 喝酒 吗？Nǐmen dōu bù hējiǔ ma?Do you all not drink alcohol? * 他 不 喜欢 说话。Tā bù xǐhuan shuōhuà.He doesn't like to speak. * 你 不 用 手机 看书 吗？Nǐ bù yòng shǒujī kàn shū ma?Do you not use your phone to read books? * 你 晚上 不 洗澡 吗？Nǐ wǎnshang bù xǐzǎo ma? Don't you shower at night?
Please note that, while it is grammatically correct to use 没 (méi) in all the sentences above, 没 (méi) does not negate any ''habitual'' actions. The sentences above, if they contained 没 (méi) instead of 不 (bù), would express that the speaker ''didn't do'' the named activity (at one particular point ''in the past''). So it would not be about ''habitual actions''. == 不 (bù) Is Normally Used with Adjectives == When it comes to a simple negation of an adjective (such as "not cold"), use 不 (bù). ===Structure===
不 + Adj.
=== Examples ===
* 我们 不 饿。Wǒmen bù è.We're not hungry. * 你 不 胖。Nǐ bù pàng.You are not fat. * 我 家 不 远。Wǒ jiā bù yuǎn.My home is not far. * 今天 不 冷。Jīntiān bù lěng.Today it isn't cold. * 我 觉得 Starbucks 的 咖啡 不 好喝。Wǒ juéde Starbucks de kāfēi bù hǎohē.I think the coffee at Starbucks isn't good.
== 不 (bù) Is for Asking Questions == There are couple ways to use 不 (bù) to ask questions. One such way is through [[Affirmative-negative_question|affirmative-negative questions]]. This is done by stating a verb and then immediately repeating that verb in a negative state (with 不 (bù)). ===Structure===
Subj. + Verb + 不 + Verb + Obj.
===Examples===
* 你 是 不是 我 的 老师？Nǐ shì bu shì wǒ de lǎoshī? Are you my teacher or not? * 她 想 不 想 来？Tā xiǎng bu xiǎnglái? Does she want to come? * 你 爱 不 爱 我？Nǐ ài bu ài wǒ? Do you love me or not? * 你们 周末 上 不 上班？Nǐmen zhōumò shàng bu shàngbān? Do you all go to work on weekends? * 你 的 外国 朋友们 喜 不 喜欢 吃 中国菜？Nǐ de wàiguó péngyoumen xǐ bu xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài? Do your foreign friends like to eat Chinese food?
不 (bù) can also be used to form [[Tag questions with "bu"|tag questions]]. Tag questions use the positive-negative question form, but are placed at the end of the sentence. Tag questions are used to seek approval or acceptance for a statement, very similar to the English "OK?" or "right?" You can't use 没 (méi) for this.
== 没 (méi) Negates Past Actions == 没 (méi) and 没有 (méiyǒu) can both be used to [[Negation of past actions with "meiyou"|negate actions that occurred in the past]], or to say that something has not happened yet. ===Structure===
Subj. + 没(有) + Verb + Obj.
===Examples===
There are a few things worth noting in these examples. For one, it is still grammatically correct to leave out the 有 (yǒu) in the sentences using 没有 (méiyǒu). Also, the sentences using 不 (bù) ''would be'' grammatically correct, if not for the time words telling us that it is definitely the '''past''' we're talking about. == Only 没 (méi) Negates 有 (yǒu) == [[Negation of past actions with "meiyou"|没 (méi) can be used to negate the verb 有 (yǒu)]] ("to have") to mean "do not have." You can only use 没 (méi) to convey this meaning. It is grammatically incorrect to use 不 (bù) to negate 有 (yǒu). === Structure ===
Subj. + 没有 + Obj.
=== Examples ===
There are times when you can leave out 有 (yǒu) entirely while still expressing 没有 (méiyǒu), (meaning "to not have" or "there is no"). One well-known example of this is [[Inability with "mei banfa"|没办法 (méi bànfǎ)]] ("there is no way" [that's gonna happen]). Both 没 (méi) and 没有 (méiyǒu) are correct, however.
*我 没 办法。Wǒ méi bànfǎ.I don't have a way. *我 没有 办法。Wǒ méiyǒu bànfǎ.I don't have a way.
(You can also [[Inability with "mei banfa"|use 没办法 (méi bànfǎ)]] to express other meanings.) == 没 (méi) Is for Making Comparisons == 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) can be used to make [[basic comparisons with "meiyou"|simple comparisons]] meaning "not as... as...": === Structure ===
Noun 1 + 没有 + Noun 2 + Adj.
=== Examples ===
You can only use 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) for this purpose, and '''not''' 不 (bù). == 不 (bù) Is Used Almost Exclusively with Certain Verbs == Certain verbs just don't get negated by 没 (méi) or 没有 (méiyǒu) ever. These include the verbs 是 (shì) ("to be") and 在 (zài) ("to be (in a place)"), as well as some psychological verbs such as 知道 (zhīdào) ("to know") and 认识 (rènshi) ("to know (a person)"). For these verbs, it's best to just take them on a case-by-case basis. Being aware of their existence can save you a fair bit of confusion.
Note that in non-standard Mandarin you might encounter exceptions to this rule. It's still useful to know the rule! == Sources and further reading == === Websites === * http://www.docin.com/p-20925643.html * http://wenku.baidu.com/view/e2e8eb2ce2bd960590c67703.html * ChinesePod Qing Wen: [https://chinesepod.com/lessons/when-to-use-“不”-bu-and-“没”-mei When To Use “不” bù and “没” méi?] ===Videos=== * Yoyo Chinese: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=340G2Sw4Z50&list=PL94A5E422FB99CDDD Negation word 不] * Yoyo Chinese: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMaE2w7C5qI&list=PL94A5E422FB99CDDD&index=12 Negation word 没] === Books === * [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 141-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy] * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 137-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy] * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)]] (p. 87) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy] * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)]] (pp. 102, 250-1) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7561926235 →buy] * [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 54-5) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy] * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)]] (pp. 33-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X →buy] * [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (p. 51) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy] * [[现代汉语八百词（增订本）]] (p. 382) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy] * [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)]] (p. 32) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy] * [[现代汉语八百词（增订本）]] (p. 383) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy] * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (p. 31) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy] * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (1st ed)]] (pp. 85-86)　[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy] * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)]] (p. 218) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy] *[[Reference:Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]](不 没p.156)[http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy] *[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 157-8)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy] [[Category:grammar comparison]] {{Used for|Negating}} {{Used for|Describing actions}} {{Used for|Denying and refusing}} {{Basic Grammar|不|A2|不 vs 没|我 今天 晚上 不 吃饭。昨天 晚上 我 没 吃饭。|grammar point|ASGRJ1BI}} {{Rel char|没有}} {{Rel char|没}} {{Similar|Standard negation with "bu"}} {{Similar|Affirmative-negative question}} {{Similar|Tag questions with "bu"}} {{Similar|Negation of "you" with "mei"}} {{Similar|Negation of past actions with "meiyou"}} {{Similar|Basic comparisons with "meiyou"}} {{Translation|not}} {{Comparison|Adverbs}}