不(bù)
Negation (Not)
Structure Pattern
Explanation
不 (bù) is the standard negation word in Chinese, equivalent to "not" or "don't" in English. Place it directly before the verb or adjective you want to negate. Note: 不 changes to a rising tone (bú) when followed by a fourth-tone word. For past tense negation, use 没 (méi) instead of 不.
Example Sentences
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Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.
I don't drink coffee.
Tā bú shì yīshēng.
He is not a doctor.
Jīntiān bù lěng.
Today is not cold.
Tā bù xiǎng qù.
She doesn't want to go.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
我不吃了饭。
Correct Usage
我没吃饭。
For negating past actions, use 没 (méi), not 不 (bù).
Related Grammar Points
To Be
shì
是 (shì) is one of the most fundamental verbs in Chinese. It functions like "to be" in English but is used specifically to link a subject to a noun or pronoun — NOT to an adjective. Unlike English, you don't use 是 to say "I am happy" (that uses 很 instead). Think of 是 as an equals sign: A 是 B means "A = B".
Don't Have / Didn't
méi yǒu
没有 (méi yǒu) serves two purposes: (1) to negate 有, meaning "don't have," and (2) to negate past actions, meaning "didn't." When negating past actions, the 有 can often be dropped, leaving just 没 (méi) before the verb.
Master 不
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