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).
这个地方不干净 。
This place isn’t clean.今天天气真不好。
Today the weather is really bad.View More Phrases
| Chinese | pinyin | english | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这件 衣服 不好看 。 | zhèjiàn yīfu bùhǎokàn. | This clothing is ugly | Literally: 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 。 | This place’s summer is not hot at all. | zhège dìfāng xiàtiān yìdiǎnr yěbù rè. | |
| 我 姐姐 不 太 高 ， 但是 很 漂亮 。 | My older sister isn’t very tall, but she is very pretty. | wǒ jiějie bú tài gāo, dànshì hěn piàoliang. |
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:
我 很 开心 。 今天不上班 ！
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:
我不吃肉 。
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.
今天 星期五 。 明天 不 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 不 ?
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 不?
The pinyin of 不 is bù.
What is the difference between 不 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 不 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 的 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 不 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!