Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""
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* 宝宝 <em>没有</em> 哭。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>méiyǒu </em> kū.</span><span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
 
* 宝宝 <em>没有</em> 哭。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>méiyǒu </em> kū.</span><span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
 
* 你 <em>没有</em> 生病。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>méiyǒu </em> shēngbìng.</span><span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span>
 
* 你 <em>没有</em> 生病。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>méiyǒu </em> shēngbìng.</span><span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span>
−
* 我 <em>没有</em> 学习 中文。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu </em> xuéxí zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">I didn't study Chinese.</span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 学习 中文。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu </em> xuéxí Zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">I didn't study Chinese.</span>
  
 
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* 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>méi </em> kū.</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">Nǐ <em>méi </em> shēngbìng.</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">Wǒ <em>méi </em> xuéxí zhōngwén.</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 01:23, 9 October 2014

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。Wǒ méiyǒu qù jiǔbā.I didn't go to a bar.
  • 他们 没有 说话。Tāmen méiyǒu shuōhuà.They didn't speak.
  • 我 没有 喝 你 的 啤酒。Wǒ méiyǒu hē nǐ de píjiǔ.I didn't drink your beer.
  • 她 没有 看到 你。Tā méiyǒu kàn dào nǐ.She didn't see you.
  • 我 没有 吃 早饭。Wǒ méiyǒu chī zǎofàn.I didn't eat breakfast.
  • 昨天 我 没有 睡觉。Zuótiān wǒ méiyǒu shuìjiào.Yesterday I didn't sleep.
  • 我 没有 买 水果。Wǒ méiyǒu mǎi shuǐguǒ.I didn't buy fruit.
  • 我 太太 没有 做 饭。Wǒ tàitài méiyǒu zuò fàn.My wife didn't cook.
  • 宝宝 没有 哭。Bǎobǎo méiyǒu kū.The baby didn't cry.
  • 你 没有 生病。Nǐ méiyǒu shēngbìng.You didn't get sick.
  • 我 没有 学习 中文。Wǒ méiyǒu xuéxí Zhōngwén.I didn't study Chinese.

Note that you can shorten 没有 (méiyǒu) to just 没 (méi):

  • 我 没 去 酒吧。Wǒ méi qù jiǔbā.I didn't go to bar.
  • 他们 没 说话。Tāmen méi shuōhuà.They didn't speak.
  • 我 没 喝 你 的 啤酒。Wǒ méi hē nǐ de píjiǔ.I didn't drink your beer.
  • 她 没 看到 你。Tā méi kàn dào nǐ.She didn't see you.
  • 我 没 吃 早饭。Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn.I didn't eat breakfast.
  • 昨天 我 没 睡觉。Zuótiān wǒ méi shuìjiào.Yesterday I didn't sleep.
  • 我 没 买 水果。Wǒ méi mǎi shuǐguǒ.I didn't buy fruit.
  • 我 太太 没 做 饭。Wǒ tàitài méi zuò fàn.My wife didn't cook.
  • 宝宝 没 哭。Bǎobǎo méi kū.The baby didn't cry.
  • 你 没 生病。Nǐ méi shēngbìng.You didn't get sick.
  • 我 没 学习 中文。Wǒ méi xuéxí Zhōngwén.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

Videos

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