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  <title>Standard negation with "bu"</title>
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  <h1>Standard negation with "<span class="pinyinst">bù</span>" "<span class="hanzist">不</span>"</h1>

  <p><span style="color: rgb(139, 0, 0); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 22px;">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) is generally used to negate a <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Verb" title="Verb">verb</a> in the present or future, or to talk about what you do not do, as a habit. So expressing things like "I don't want to go" or "I'm not going" or "I don't eat meat" would be typical uses of <span class="hanzi">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>).</p>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_173">Contents</h2>

  <div class="contents">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Negating_Verbs"> 1 Negating Verbs</a> 

      <ul>
        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Structure"> 1.1 Structure</a></li>

        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Examples"> 1.2 Examples</a></li>
      </ul></li>

      <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Negating_Adjectives"> 2 Negating Adjectives</a> 

      <ul>
        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Structure_2"> 2.1 Structure</a></li>

        <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Examples_2"> 2.2 Examples</a></li>
      </ul></li>

      <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#See_also"> 3 See also</a></li>

      <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Sources_and_Further_Reading"> 4 Sources and Further Reading</a> 

      <ul>
        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Books"> 4.1 Books</a></li>

        <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Standard_negation_with_%22bu%22#Videos"> 4.2 Videos</a></li>
      </ul></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_174"><span id="Negating_Verbs">Negating Verbs</span></h2>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_175"><span id="Structure">Structure</span></h3>

  <p>The standard way to negate verbs in Chinese is with <span class="hanzi">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>). To negate a verb, simply place <span class="hanzi">不 </span>(<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) before it:</p>

  <div class="deux">
    Subj. + <span class="hanzist">不</span> + Verb + Obj.
  </div>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_176">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">他们 不 是 坏 孩子。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tāmen bù shì huài háizi.</span> <br/>They are not bad kids.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 都 不 喝 酒。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu bù hē jiǔ.</span> <br/>We all don't drink alcohol.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 今天 不 想 工作 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān bù xiǎng gōngzuò .</span> <br/>I don't want to work today.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 不 喜欢 我 吗？</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ ma?</span> <br/>Do you not like me?</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">为什么 你 不 喜欢 喝 咖啡？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wèishéme nǐ bù xǐhuan hē kāfēi?</span> <br/>Why don't you like to drink coffee?</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>Almost all verbs can be negated with <span class="hanzi">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) (<a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negation_of_past_actions" title="Negation of past actions" class="mw-redirect">unless you're talking about the past</a>). The only verb that can never be negated with <span class="hanzi">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) is <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negation_of_%22you%22" title="Negation of &quot;you&quot;" class="mw-redirect">有 (yǒu)</a>.</p>

  <div>
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi"><strike>我 不有 时间。</strike></span><br/><span class="pinyin"><strike>Wǒ bù yǒu shíjiān.</strike></span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 没有 时间。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.</span> I don't have time.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_177"><span id="Negating_Adjectives">Negating Adjectives</span></h2>

  <p>As it turns out, the structure with an <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adjective" title="Adjective">adjective</a> is basically the same as the one with a verb.</p>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_178"><span id="Structure_2">Structure</span></h3>

  <div class="deux">
    Subj. + <span class="hanzist">不</span> + Adj.
  </div>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_179"><span id="Examples_2">Examples</span></h3>

  <div>
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 不 饿 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù è .</span> <br/>I'm not hungry.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 个 不 贵 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhè ge bù guì .</span> <br/>This is not expensive.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 公司 不 大 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen gōngsī bù dà .</span> <br/>Our company is not big.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 今天 很 不 高兴 。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn jīntiān hěn bù gāoxìng .</span> <br/>The boss is very unhappy today.</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 哥哥 不 高 ，但是 很 帅。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēge bù gāo , dànshì hěn shuài.</span> <br/>My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_180">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negation_of_%22you%22" title="Negation of &quot;you&quot;" class="mw-redirect">Negation of "yǒu"</a></li>

    <li><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negation_of_past_actions_with_%22meiyou%22" title="Negation of past actions with &quot;meiyou&quot;">Negation of past actions with "méiyou"</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_181">Sources and Further Reading</h2>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_182">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 31)</li>

    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 45)</li>

    <li>Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 146-150)</li>
  </ul>

  <h3 id="sigil_toc_id_183">Videos</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Yoyo Chinese: Negation word <span class="hanzi">不</span></li>
  </ul>
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