Difference between revisions of "Standard negation with "bu""
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* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>是</strong> 德国人。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>shì </strong> Déguó rén.</span><span class="trans">I am not German.</span>
 
* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>是</strong> 德国人。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>shì </strong> Déguó rén.</span><span class="trans">I am not German.</span>
−
* 他 <em>不</em> <strong>喜欢</strong> 你。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù</em> <strong>xǐhuan </strong> nǐ.</span><span class="trans">He does not like you.</span>
+
* 你 <em>不</em> <strong>喜欢</strong> 我 吗？<span class="pinyin"> Nǐ <em>bù</em> <strong>xǐhuan </strong> wǒ ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you not like me?</span>
−
* 她 <em>不</em> <strong>喝</strong> 酒。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù</em> <strong>hē </strong> jiǔ.</span><span class="trans">She doesn't drink beer.</span>
+
*我们 都 <em>不</em> <strong>喝</strong> 酒。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen dōu <em>bù</em> <strong>hē </strong> jiǔ.</span><span class="trans">We all don't drink alcohol.</span>
−
* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>是</strong> 好 学生。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>shì </strong> hǎo xuéshēng.</span><span class="trans">I am not a good student.</span>
+
* 他们 <em>不</em> <strong>是</strong> 坏 孩子。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>bù</em> <strong>shì </strong> huài háizi.</span><span class="trans">They are not bad kids.</span>
−
* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>想 工作</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>xiǎng gōngzuò </strong>.</span><span class="trans">I don't want to work.</span>
+
* 我 今天 <em>不</em> <strong>想 工作</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān <em>bù</em> <strong>xiǎng gōngzuò </strong>.</span><span class="trans">I don't want to work today.</span>
−
* 很多 年轻 人 <em>不</em> <strong>运动</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Hěnduō niánqīng rén <em>bù</em> <strong>yùndòng </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Many young people don't exercise.</span>
+
* 很多 年轻 人 <em>不</em> 喜欢 <strong>运动</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Hěnduō niánqīng rén <em>bù</em> xǐhuan <strong>yùndòng </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Many young people don't like exercising.</span>
−
* 今天 我 <em>不</em> <strong>去 上课</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>qù shàngkè </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Today I am not going to class.</span>
+
* 今天 你 <em>不</em> <strong>去 上课</strong> 吗？<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān nǐ <em>bù</em> <strong>qù shàngkè </strong> ma?</span><span class="trans">Today you are not going to class?</span>
−
* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>喜欢</strong> 这 个 派对。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>xǐhuan </strong> zhè ge pàiduì.</span><span class="trans">I don't like this party.</span>
+
* 我 的 朋友 都 <em>不</em> <strong>喜欢</strong> 这 个 派对。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ de péngyou dōu <em>bù</em> <strong>xǐhuan </strong> zhè ge pàiduì.</span><span class="trans">Both my friend and I don't like this party.</span>
−
* 这么 贵，我 <em>不</em> <strong>买</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Zhème guì, wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>mǎi </strong>.</span><span class="trans">How expensive! I'm not buying it.</span>
+
* 太 贵 了，我 <em>不</em> <strong>买</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Tài guì le, wǒ <em>bù</em> <strong>mǎi </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Too expensive! I'm not buying it.</span>
 
* 为什么 你 <em>不</em> <strong>喜欢 喝</strong> 咖啡？<span class="pinyin">Wèishéme nǐ <em>bù</em> <strong>xǐhuan hē </strong> kāfēi?</span><span class="trans">Why don't you like to drink coffee?</span>
 
* 为什么 你 <em>不</em> <strong>喜欢 喝</strong> 咖啡？<span class="pinyin">Wèishéme nǐ <em>bù</em> <strong>xǐhuan hē </strong> kāfēi?</span><span class="trans">Why don't you like to drink coffee?</span>
  

Revision as of 02:00, 21 September 2015

不 (bù) is generally used to negate an action that you do not want to do or do not intend to do (in the future). So expressing things like "I don't want to go" or "I'm not going" would be uses of 不 (bù).

Negating Verbs

Structure

The standard way to negate verbs in Chinese is with 不 (bù). To negate a verb, simply place 不 (bù) before it:

Subj. + 不 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

  • 我 不 是 德国人。Wǒ bù shì Déguó rén.I am not German.
  • 你 不 喜欢 我 吗？ Nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ ma?Do you not like me?
  • 我们 都 不 喝 酒。Wǒmen dōu bù hē jiǔ.We all don't drink alcohol.
  • 他们 不 是 坏 孩子。Tāmen bù shì huài háizi.They are not bad kids.
  • 我 今天 不 想 工作。Wǒ jīntiān bù xiǎng gōngzuò .I don't want to work today.
  • 很多 年轻 人 不 喜欢 运动。Hěnduō niánqīng rén bù xǐhuan yùndòng .Many young people don't like exercising.
  • 今天 你 不 去 上课 吗？Jīntiān nǐ bù qù shàngkè ma?Today you are not going to class?
  • 我 的 朋友 都 不 喜欢 这 个 派对。Wǒ de péngyou dōu bù xǐhuan zhè ge pàiduì.Both my friend and I don't like this party.
  • 太 贵 了，我 不 买。Tài guì le, wǒ bù mǎi .Too expensive! I'm not buying it.
  • 为什么 你 不 喜欢 喝 咖啡？Wèishéme nǐ bù xǐhuan hē kāfēi?Why don't you like to drink coffee?

Almost all verbs can be negated with 不 (bù) (unless you're talking about the past). The only verb that can never be negated with 不 (bù) is 有 (yǒu).

  • 我 不有 时间。Wǒ bù yǒu shíjiān.
  • 我 没有 时间。Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.I don't have time.

Negating Adjectives

Turns out that the structure is basically the same.

Structure

Subject + 不 + Adjective

Examples

  • 我 不 饿。Wǒ bù è .I'm not hungry.
  • 他 不 热。Tā bù rè .He is not hot.
  • 这 个 不 贵。Zhè ge bù guì .This is not expensive.
  • 我们 学校 不 大。Wǒmen xuéxiào bù dà .Our school is not big.
  • 这里 的 咖啡 不 好喝。Zhèlǐ de kāfēi bù hǎo hē .The coffee here is not good.
  • 我 觉得 那 个 女 孩子 不 漂亮。Wǒ juédé nàge nǚ háizi bù piàoliang .I think that girl is not pretty.
  • 我 哥哥 不 高，但是 很 帅。Wǒ gēgē bù gāo , dànshì hěn shuài.My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.
  • 我 很 不 高兴。Wǒ hěn bù gāoxìng .I am not happy.
  • 这 个 人 不 好。Zhè ge rén bù hǎo .This person is not good.
  • 吃 这 种 东西 不 健康。Chī zhè zhǒng dōngxī bù jiànkāng .Eating this stuff is not healthy.

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Videos

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