Your learning plan · Continue · Review →
不 and 没 — two ways to say “not”
IntroducedYour saved position stays in this browser. Resuming does not complete the lesson or answer its questions.
Not today, and not yesterday
- A friend asks about school. Today you are not going; yesterday you didn't go either.
- I我today今天not不to go去。 Wǒ jīntiān bú qù. — "I'm not going today." I我yesterday昨天not / haven't没to go去。 Wǒ zuótiān méi qù. — "I didn't go yesterday."
not不: now, future, habits and wishes
- not不 (bù) says no to the present, the future, a habit or a wish: I我not不drink喝coffee咖啡, I don't drink coffee; tomorrow明天not不to go去, not going tomorrow.
- not不 also goes before adjectives and to be / is是: not不busy忙, not busy; no不是teacher老师, not a teacher.
I我not不drink喝coffee咖啡。
Build: “I don’t drink coffee.”
Difficulty 3/5 · 200 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
A habit or preference is negated with 不 before the verb.
not / haven't没: things that did not happen
- not / haven't没 (méi) says an action did not happen: I我yesterday昨天not / haven't没to go去, I didn't go yesterday; he / him他not / haven't没to come来, he didn't come.
- to have / there is有 is always negated with not / haven't没: I我don't have没有money钱。 — "I don't have money." Never not不to have / there is有.
I我don't have没有money钱。
Complete: “I don’t have money.” 我____有钱。
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
有 is always negated with 没.
He didn’t come to class yesterday. Which fits?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
An action that did not happen in the past takes 没.
The tone of not不
- not不 changes to bú before a fourth tone: not不to go去 bú qù, no不是 bú shì. Before other tones it stays bù.
In 不是, 不 is pronounced bú.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
True. 是 is fourth tone, so 不 changes to bú.
Watch out
- Use not / haven't没 for to have / there is有: I我don't have没有, never I我not不to have / there is有.
- Do not use not / haven't没 with to be / is是: I我no不是student学生, not I我not / haven't没to be / is是student学生.
Recap
- not不 = not (now, future, habits, wishes, adjectives, to be / is是).
- not / haven't没(to have / there is有) = did not / have not, and the negative of to have / there is有. not不 → bú before a fourth tone.
Tell a friend one thing you never do, one thing you did not do yesterday, and one thing you do not have. Close the examples. Say it, then write it in Chinese.
Compare meaning and word order with the model; your sentences need not copy it. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken version to comment on pronunciation.