Negation of "you" with "mei"

The verb 有 (yǒu) is negated differently from ordinary verbs. Rather than putting 不 (bù) before it, you put 没 (méi) before it.

Structure

Nearly all verbs can be negated with 不 (bù). The verb 有 (yǒu) is an exception, and must be negated with 没 (méi).

Subject + 没 + 有 + Object

Examples

• 他 没 有 钱 。Tā méi yǒu qián. He doesn't have money.
• 爸爸 没 有 手机 。Bàba méi yǒu shǒujī. Dad doesn't have a cell phone.
• 我 没 有 狗 。Wǒ méi yǒu gǒu. I don't have a dog.
• 在 上海， 我 没 有 朋友 。Zài Shǎnghǎi, wǒ méi yǒu péngyou. In Shanghai, I have no friends.
• 这 个 星期 ， 我 没 有 时间 。Zhè gè xīngqī, wǒ méi yǒu shíjiān. This week, I have no time.
• 我们 没 有 房子 。Wǒmen méi yǒu fángzi. We don't have a house.
• 我 太太 现在 没 有 工作 。Wǒ tàitai xiànzài méi yǒu gōngzùo. My wife doesn't have a job right now.
• 我们 没 有 孩子 。Wǒmen méi yǒu háizi. We don't have children.
• 我 没 有 房子 ， 没 有 车 ，也 没 有 女 朋友。Wǒ méi yǒu fángzǐ, méi yǒu chē, yě méi yǒu nǚ péngyou. I don't have a house, a car, or a girlfriend.
• 我们 公司 没 有 电脑 。Wǒmen gōngsī méi yǒu diànnǎo. Our company doesn't have computers.

Remember that trying to negate 有 with 不 is a classic mistake that many people make in the early stages of studying Chinese:

• 我 不 有 汽车。Never use 不 with 有!
• 我 没 有 汽车。Always use 没 with 有.I don't have a car.

Never use 不 with 有.

See also

• Standard negation with bu
• Inability with "mei banfa"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 51) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 382) →buy
• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 35) →buy

Videos

• Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 没