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  <title>Negation of "you" with "mei"</title>
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  <h1>Negation of "<span class="pinyin">yǒu</span>" with "<span class="pinyin">méi</span>"</h1>

  <p>The verb <span class="hanzi">有</span> (<span class="pinyin">yǒu</span>) is negated differently from ordinary verbs. Rather than placing <span class="hanzi">不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) before it as with other verbs, you must use <span class="hanzi">没</span> (<span class="pinyin">méi</span>) to negate the verb <span class="hanzi">有</span> (<span class="pinyin">yǒu</span>).</p>

  <h2 id="sigil_toc_id_2">Contents</h2>

  <div class="contents">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#Structure"> 1 Structure</a></li>

      <li><a href="#Examples"> 2 Examples</a></li>

      <li><a href="#The-Short-Form"> 3 The Short Form of <span class="hanzi">没有</span> is <span class="hanzi">没</span></a></li>

      <li><a href="#See-also"> 4 See also</a></li>

      <li><a href="#Sources-and-further-reading"> 5 Sources and further reading</a> 

      <ul>
        <li><a href="#books"> 5.1 Books</a></li>

        <li><a href="#videos"> 5.2 Videos</a></li>
      </ul></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

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

  <p>Nearly all verbs can be <a href="">negated with 不 (bù)</a>. The verb<span class="hanzi"> 有</span> (<span class="pinyin">yǒu</span>) is an exception, and must be negated with<span class="hanzi"> 没</span> (<span class="pinyin">méi</span>).</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <span class="hanzist">没</span> +<span class="hanzist"> 有</span> (+ Obj.)
  </div>

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

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 没 有 问题。</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi yǒu wènti.</span> <br/>I don't have any questions.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 现在 没 有 钱。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xiànzài méi yǒu qián.</span><br/> We don't have money now.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他 没 有 工作 吗？</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Tā méi yǒu gōngzuò ma? </span><br/> Does he not have a job?</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他们 没 有 爸爸妈妈。</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Tāmen méi yǒu bàba māma.</span><br/> They don't have parents.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我们 在 北京 没 有 房子。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zài Běijīng méi yǒu fángzi.</span><br/> We don't have a house in Beijing.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 爸爸 没 有 手机 吗？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐ bàba méi yǒu shǒujī ma? </span><br/> Does your dad not have a cell phone?</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你们 在 上海 没 有 朋友 吗？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zài Shànghǎi méi yǒu péngyou ma?</span><br/> Do you not have friends in Shanghai?</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 的 老师 现在 没 有 男朋友。</span><br/><span class="pinyin"> Wǒ de lǎoshī xiànzài méi yǒu nánpéngyou.</span><br/> My teacher doesn't have a boyfriend now.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他们 都 没 有 电脑 吗？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Tāmen dōu méi yǒu diànnǎo ma?</span> <br/>Do they all not have computers?</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 个 周末 你们 都 没 有 时间 吗？</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Zhè ge zhōumò nǐmen dōu méi yǒu shíjiān ma?</span><br/> Do you all not have time this weekend?</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="gris">
    Remember that trying to negate <span class="hanzi">有 </span>(<span class="pinyin">yǒu</span>) with<span class="hanzi"> 不</span> (<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) is a classic mistake that many people make in the early stages of studying Chinese:
  </div>

  <ul>
    <li><span class="hanzi"><del>我 不 有 车。</del></span> <b>Never use <span class="hanzi">不</span> with <span class="hanzi">有</span>!</b><span class="pinyin"> <del>Wǒ bù yǒu chē.</del></span></li>

    <li><span class="hanzi">我 没 有 车。</span> <b>Always use <span class="hanzi">没</span> with <span class="hanzi">有</span>.</b><span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi yǒu chē.</span> I don't have a car.</li>
  </ul>

  <div class="grisgros" align="center">
    Never use <span class="hanzi">不 </span>(<span class="pinyin">bù</span>) with<span class="hanzi"> 有</span> (<span class="pinyin">yǒu</span>).
  </div>

  <h2 id="The-Short-Form">The Short Form of <span class="hanzist">没有</span> is <span class="hanzist">没</span></h2>

  <p><span class="hanzi">没有</span> (<span class="pinyin">méiyǒu</span>) can be shortened to <span class="hanzi">没</span> (<span class="pinyin">méi</span>) without altering its meaning.</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">我 没 钱。</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi qián.</span><br/> I don't have money.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 没 男朋友 吗？</span><br/> <span class="pinyin"> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ méi nánpéngyou ma?</span></span><br/> Do you not have a boyfriend?</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你们 没 车 吗？</span><br/><span class="pinyin"><span class="pinyin">Nǐmen méi chē ma?</span></span> <br/>Do you not have a car?</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">老板 现在 没 时间。</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn xiànzài méi shíjiān.</span><br/> The boss doesn't have time right now.</li>

      <br/>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 没 工作，我 老公 也 没 工作。</span><br/><span class="pinyin">Wǒ méi gōngzuò, wǒ lǎogōng yě méi gōngzuò.</span> <br/>I don't have a job. Neither does my husband.</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

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

  <div class="See-also">
    <li><a href="#">Negation of past actions with "méiyou"</a></li>

    <li><a href="#">Standard negation with "bù"</a></li>

    <li><a href="#">Inability with "méi banfa"</a></li>

    <li><a href="#">Comparing "bù" and "méi"</a></li>
  </div>

  <h2 id="Sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

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

  <ul>
    <li>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 51)</li>

    <li><span class="hanzi">现代汉语八百词（增订本）</span> (pp. 382)</li>

    <li>A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners <span class="hanzi">(外国人实用汉语语法)</span> (pp. 35)</li>
  </ul>

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

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