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Chinese Grammar Bank

NEGATIVE FORM 不

The word 不 bù is always used to negate something.

Of course, if 不 bù was as easy as “no” in English, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article right now. So, let’s get into it. How does 不 bù actually work?

If you are a beginner, you can start by embracing the overgeneralisation that 不 (bù) applies to any negation in the present or future.

不 TO NEGATE ADJECTIVES

PATTERN

不 + Adjective

is a common way to say that something is NOT in a certain way.

For example, I have a dog that is…well…kind of stupid. I would say: 我的 狗 不 聪明 (wǒde gǒu bù cōngming) = My dog is not smart.

Here, we use 不 bù directly before 聪明 cōngming to say that my dog is not smart.

Consider these further examples of 不 being used to say that an object, place, or person is not a certain way (not good looking, not clean, not tall, not comfortable, etc).

zhège dìfāng gānjìng.

这个地方干净 。

This place isn’t clean.
jīntiān tiānqì zhēn hǎo.

今天天气真好。

Today the weather is really bad.
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Chinesepinyinenglishnotes
这件 衣服 不好看 。zhèjiàn yīfu bùhǎokàn.This clothing is uglyLiterally: not good looking
我 最近 身体 不舒服 。wǒ zuìjìn shēntǐ bùshūfu.Recently, I haven’t been feeling well Literally: my body has not felt comfortable
这个 地方 夏天 一点儿 也不 热 。zhège dìfāng xiàtiān yìdiǎnr yěbù rè.This place’s summer is not hot at all.
我 姐姐 不 太 高 , 但是 很 漂亮 。wǒ jiějie bú tài gāo, dànshì hěn piàoliang.My older sister isn’t very tall, but she is very pretty.

不 TO NEGATE IN THE PRESENT

不 can be paired with verbs to express that they are NOT happening in the present.

This can be about something you are not doing today. For example:

wǒ hěn kāixīn. jīntiān shàngbān!

我 很 开心 。 今天上班 !

I am very happy. Today I don’t work!

This can be used for anything that is happening in the present. For example, a vegetarian would say:

wǒ bùchī ròu.

吃肉 。

I don’t eat meat.

EXCEPTION – if you want to say something is not yet happening (but will happen), that is when you use 没 méi

View More Phrases
爸爸今天不在家 。bàba jīntiān bú zàijiā.Today dad isn’t home.
他不是留学生 。tā búshi liúxuéshēng.He isn’t an exchange student.
我不会说汉语 。wǒ búhuì shuō hànyǔ.I can’t speak Chinese.
她不听妈妈说的话。tā bù tīng māma shuō dehuà.She doesn’t listen to what her mom tells her.
现在不能开车 。xiànzài bùnéng kāichē.Can’t drive right now.
哥哥不常给父母打电话 。gēge bù cháng gěi fùmǔ dǎdiànhuà.My older brother rarely (literally: not often) gives my parents a call.

不 TO NEGATE IN THE FUTURE

不 bù can also be used to say that you will not be doing something in the near/far future or that something is not happening in the present.

jīntiān xīngqīwǔ. míngtiān shàngkè!

今天 星期五 。 明天 上课 !

Today is Friday. Tomorrow I don’t have class!

TIP – If you are a beginning Chinese learner and you see a word like 明天 míngtiān (tomorrow) or 明年 míngnián (next year), you generally should use 不 bù and not 没 méi.

我 明年不去美国 。wǒ míngnián bú qù měiguó.Next year I won’t go to the US.👉 Future clue – 明年 míngnián
暑假 我 不想 回国 了 。shǔjià wǒ bùxiǎng huíguó le.I don’t want to go home during summer vacation.👉 Future clue – 暑假 shǔjià
明天银行不开门 。míngtiān yínháng bù kāimén.Tomorrow the bank isn’t open.👉 Future clue – 明天 míngtiān

不 AS A NEGATIVE COMMEND

The phrase 不要 búyào is the simplest way to say “don’t” in Mandarin.

For example, a mom might be overheard telling her child:

不要 哭 !búyào kū!Don’t cry!
不要喝太多奶茶 。búyào hē tàiduō nǎichá.Don’t drink too much milk tea.
现在不要出去 。xiànzài búyào chūqù.Don’t go out right now.

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FAQs

What is  ?

The word 不 bù is always used to negate something.

In some ways, it is one of the closest things Mandarin has to the word “no” in English.

What is the pinyin of ?

The pinyin of 不 is bù.

What is the difference between  and 没?

The difference is actually very simple to remember:

不 bù applies to any negation in the present or the future, whereas 没 méi is used for any negation in the past.

How do I use  in Chinese?

If you are a beginner, you can start by embracing the overgeneralisation that 不 (bù) applies to any negation in the present or future.

1) 不 + adj is common to say that something is NOT a certain way:

我的 狗 不 聪明, wǒde gǒu bù cōngming – My dog is not smart

2) 不 can be paired with verbs to express that they are NOT happening in the present:

我 不吃 肉, wǒ bùchī ròu – I don’t eat meat.

3) 不 bù can also be used to say that you will not be doing something in the near/far future:

明天 银行 不 开门, míngtiān yínháng bù kāimén – Tomorrow the bank isn’t open.

What other basic Chinese Grammar should I learn?

One of the most basic sentence structure to learn in Chinese is the  sentence.

Another basic grammar to study would be concept of measure words, which you’ll see in almost every sentence in Chinese!

Find out more grammar lessons for all levels in our Chinese Grammar Bank.

What are some examples of the  structure?

– 你 不是 真正 的 快乐, nǐ búshi zhēnzhèng de kuàilè – You aren’t really happy.

– 我的 狗 不 聪明, wǒde gǒu bù cōngming – My dog is not smart

– 我 明年 不 去 美国, wǒ míngnián bú qù měiguó – Next year I don’t want to go to the US.

– 不要 哭 !búyào kū! Don’t cry!

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