In Mandarin Chinese, negation is straightforward but sensitive to the type of verb and the nuance you want to convey. This guide covers the main negative particles and when to use them.
不 (bù)
不 bù is the general negation for habitual actions, abilities, and future intentions. It negates an action or state and signals that something does not happen or will not happen.
Examples
###
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕️ 我不喝咖啡。 | Wǒ bù hē kāfēi. | I don’t drink coffee. | |
| 🥐 他不吃面包。 | Tā bù chī miànbāo. | He doesn’t eat bread. | |
| 🧃 我不喝果汁。 | Wǒ bù hē guǒzhī. | I don’t drink juice. | |
| 🍵 她不喝茶。 | Tā bù hē chá. | She doesn’t drink tea. |
Usage
Use 不 bù to negate actions you do regularly, things you refuse to do, or events you plan to avoid. It appears before verbs, adjectives, and sometimes classifiers.
I don't want to go.
没 (méi)
没 méi negates past actions and completed events. It is used with 有 yǒu and other verbs to show that something did not happen or was not done.
Examples
###
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍞 我没买面包。 | Wǒ méi mǎi miànbāo. | I didn’t buy bread. | |
| 🥛 他没喝牛奶。 | Tā méi hē niúnǎi. | He didn’t drink milk. | |
| 🍊 我没买橙子。 | Wǒ méi mǎi chéngzi. | I didn’t buy oranges. | |
| ☕️ 她没喝咖啡。 | Tā méi hē kāfēi. | She didn’t drink coffee. |
Usage
Use 没 méi to deny an action or event in the past. It cannot be used to negate future or habitual actions; for those, use 不 bù.
不要 vs 别
不要 bù yào and 别 bié both tell someone not to do something, but 别 bié is more direct and commonly used in spoken commands. 不要 bù yào can be used in polite requests or warnings.
Examples
###
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥤 我要喝水，不要喝果汁。 | Wǒ yào hē shuǐ, bùyào hē guǒzhī. | I want to drink water, don’t give me juice. | |
| 🥪 别吃我的三明治！ | Bié chī wǒ de sānmíngzhì! | Don’t eat my sandwich! | |
| ☕️ 不要加糖。 | Bùyào jiā táng. | Don’t add sugar. | |
| 🚫 别拿我的杯子。 | Bié ná wǒ de bēizi. | Don’t take my cup. |
Usage
Use 别 bié for short, firm commands and 不要 bù yào for softer or more formal negatives. Both come before the verb to be negated.
Additional Negatives
Other negative particles like 不能 bù néng, 无法 wú fǎ, and 别再 bié zài add nuances of inability, prohibition, or repeated actions. Negatives can combine with time words and adverbs for precise meaning.
Examples
###
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔍 我没看见你的杯子。 | Wǒ méi kànjiàn nǐ de bēizi. | I didn’t see your cup. | |
| 💤 他没有睡觉。 | Tā méiyǒu shuìjiào. | He didn’t sleep. | |
| 🧼 我不洗碗。 | Wǒ bù xǐ wǎn. | I don’t wash the dishes. | |
| 🚫 别的杯子我不认识。 | Bié de bēizi wǒ bù rènshi. | I don’t know the other cup. |
Usage
Choose the negative that fits the context—whether you want to deny ability, forbid an action, or stop a behavior from repeating. Learn common phrases to sound natural.
Sentence Structure
The negative word typically comes directly before the verb or phrase it negates. Adverbs and time expressions follow the negative particle. When negating adjectives, use 不 bù unless you want to express absence with 没 méi.
Examples
###
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥣 我不吃早饭。 | Wǒ bù chī zǎofàn. | I don’t eat breakfast. | |
| 🥛 我没喝牛奶。 | Wǒ méi hē niúnǎi. | I didn’t drink milk. | |
| 🥪 我不要三明治。 | Wǒ bùyào sānmíngzhì. | I don’t want a sandwich. | |
| 🍊 别吃那个橙子。 | Bié chī nàge chéngzi. | Don’t eat that orange. |
Usage
Keep the negative particle close to the word it cancels, and place modifiers in their usual order. Practice with simple sentences to internalize the pattern.
Summary
Use 不 bù for general negation of habitual, future, or descriptive actions; 没 méi for negating past or completed events; 别 bié and 不要 bù yào for commands; and other particles for specific nuances. Place the negative word before the verb or phrase it cancels.
Negation in Mandarin hinges on choosing the right particle for time and meaning, so pay attention to whether you’re talking about the past, habit, or commands.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025