Decline an invitation politely

You cannot go today

• you你nǐto go去qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？ Nǐ qù ma? — Are you going?

• I / me我wǒnot不bùto go去qù。 Wǒ bú qù. — I am not going. to go去qù qù means go; not不bù negates it here.

• Before you start: Recall final (yes/no ?)吗ma from checking an identity and to thank谢谢xiè xiè from courtesy phrases. This lesson changes the main verb from to be / is是shì to to go去qù.

Put not不bù before the action

• For this simple pattern, use person + not不bù + verb: I / me我wǒnot不bùto go去qù. Before the fourth-tone to go去qù, not不bù is pronounced bú.
• A natural short answer to you你nǐto go去qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？ is to go去qù or 不去bù qù. Repeating the verb is useful; you do not have to use to be / is是shì for every yes/no reply.

Soften the refusal

• to feel embarrassed不好意思bù hǎo yì sī，I / me我wǒnot不bùto go去qù。 Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ bú qù. — Sorry, I’m not going.
• Learn to feel embarrassed不好意思bù hǎo yì sī as a whole courtesy phrase. Add to thank谢谢xiè xiè if you want to acknowledge the invitation.

Work through a decision: First identify to go去qù as the action being checked in you你nǐto go去qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？If you will go, to go去qù confirms that action. If you decline, 不去bù qù denies it. to feel embarrassed不好意思bù hǎo yì sī can soften the refusal, while to thank谢谢xiè xiè acknowledges the invitation without reversing the decision.

Compare a near miss: no不是bú shì denies an identity in the earlier to be / is是shì pattern; it is not the practised reply to you你nǐto go去qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？Also, to thank谢谢xiè xiè after I / me我wǒnot不bùto go去qù does not turn the refusal into agreement. Courtesy and the decision to go serve different purposes.

Hear the difference

• Which sentence is negative? Play each one:
• Do not worry about every negative form today. For to have / there is有yǒu yǒu — have, the usual negative is not have / haven't没有méi yǒu méiyǒu — do not have; a later unit practises it.

Reply without reading

• Hear you你nǐto go去qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？ and give a positive reply, then a polite negative reply. Use to go去qù / 不去bù qù.
• Later today, recall the refusal phrase without reopening this page. A forgotten word is a cue to review, not a failure.

Next: ask what and who.

Later recall: Tomorrow, answer you你nǐto go去qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？ positively and negatively without reading. A few days later, mix it with you你nǐto be / is是shìstudent学生xué shēng(yes/no ?)吗ma？ and choose the main verb for each reply. Revisit “Put not不bù before the action” if you carry to be / is是shì into the going question.