Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""
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* 我 <em>没</em> 去 酒吧。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi </em> qù jiǔbā.</span><span class="trans">I didn't go to bar.</span> | * 我 <em>没</em> 去 酒吧。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi </em> qù jiǔbā.</span><span class="trans">I didn't go to bar.</span> | ||
| − | * 他们 <em>没</em> 说话。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">They didn't speak.</span> | + | * 他们 <em>没</em> 说话。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>méi </em> shuōhuà.</span><span class="trans">They didn't speak.</span> |
| − | * 我 <em>没</em> 喝 你 的 啤酒。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">I didn't drink your beer.</span> | + | * 我 <em>没</em> 喝 你 的 啤酒。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi </em> hē nǐ de píjiǔ.</span><span class="trans">I didn't drink your beer.</span> |
| − | * 她 <em>没</em> 看到 你。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">She didn't see you.</span> | + | * 她 <em>没</em> 看到 你。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méi </em> kàn dào nǐ.</span><span class="trans">She didn't see you.</span> |
| − | * 我 <em>没</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span> | + | * 我 <em>没</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi </em> chī zǎofàn.</span><span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span> |
| − | * 昨天 我 <em>没</em> 睡觉。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">Yesterday I didn't sleep.</span> | + | * 昨天 我 <em>没</em> 睡觉。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǒ <em>méi </em> shuìjiào.</span><span class="trans">Yesterday I didn't sleep.</span> |
| − | * 我 <em>没</em> 买 水果。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">I didn't buy fruit.</span> | + | * 我 <em>没</em> 买 水果。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi </em> mǎi shuǐguǒ.</span><span class="trans">I didn't buy fruit.</span> |
| − | * 我 太太 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">My wife didn't cook.</span> | + | * 我 太太 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tàitài <em>méi </em> zuò fàn.</span><span class="trans">My wife didn't cook.</span> |
| − | * 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span> | + | * 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>méi </em> kū.</span><span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span> |
| − | * 你 <em>没</em> 生病。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span> | + | * 你 <em>没</em> 生病。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>méi </em> shēngbìng.</span><span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span> |
| − | * 我 <em>没</em> 学习 中文。<span class="pinyin"></span><span class="trans">I didn't study Chinese.</span> | + | * 我 <em>没</em> 学习 中文。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi </em> xuéxí zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">I didn't study Chinese.</span> |
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Revision as of 19:27, 8 October 2014
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Level
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Used for
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Keywords
Use 没有 (méiyǒu) to negate past actions (to say that someone didn't do something, or something didn't happen).
Structure
Usually verbs can be negated with 不 (bù), but that construction is used for habitual or present actions. If the verb is about an action in the past, though, 没有 (méiyǒu) should be used:
Subject + 没有 + Verb
Examples
- 我 没有 去 酒吧。I didn't go to a bar.
- 他们 没有 说话。They didn't speak.
- 我 没有 喝 你 的 啤酒。I didn't drink your beer.
- 她 没有 看到 你。She didn't see you.
- 我 没有 吃 早饭。I didn't eat breakfast.
- 昨天 我 没有 睡觉。Yesterday I didn't sleep.
- 我 没有 买 水果。I didn't buy fruit.
- 我 太太 没有 做 饭。My wife didn't cook.
- 宝宝 没有 哭。The baby didn't cry.
- 你 没有 生病。You didn't get sick.
- 我 没有 学习 中文。I didn't study Chinese.
Note that you can shorten 没有 (méiyǒu) to just 没 (méi):
- 我 没 去 酒吧。I didn't go to bar.
- 他们 没 说话。They didn't speak.
- 我 没 喝 你 的 啤酒。I didn't drink your beer.
- 她 没 看到 你。She didn't see you.
- 我 没 吃 早饭。I didn't eat breakfast.
- 昨天 我 没 睡觉。Yesterday I didn't sleep.
- 我 没 买 水果。I didn't buy fruit.
- 我 太太 没 做 饭。My wife didn't cook.
- 宝宝 没 哭。The baby didn't cry.
- 你 没 生病。You didn't get sick.
- 我 没 学习 中文。I didn't study Chinese.
Remember that 了 is not used with 没有. 了 (le) marks completed actions, while 没有 (méiyǒu) is used for actions that didn't happen. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for beginner learners of Chinese.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (p. 32) →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 383) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 138-9) →buy
Videos
- Yoyo Chinese: Negation with 没
