Difference between revisions of "Standard negation with "bu""
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* 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> | ||
* 很多 年轻 人 都 <em>不</em> 喜欢 <strong>运动</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Hěnduō niánqīng rén dōu <em>bù</em> xǐhuan <strong>yùndòng </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Many young people don't like exercising.</span> | * 很多 年轻 人 都 <em>不</em> 喜欢 <strong>运动</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Hěnduō niánqīng rén dōu <em>bù</em> xǐhuan <strong>yùndòng </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Many young people don't like exercising.</span> | ||
− | * | + | * 你 的 朋友 都 <em>不</em> <strong>想 去</strong> 这 个 派对 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de péngyou dōu <em>bù</em> <strong>xiǎng qù</strong> zhè ge pàiduì ma?</span><span class="trans">None of your friends want to go to this party?</span> |
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Revision as of 02:07, 21 September 2015
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Keywords
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).
Contents
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。I am not German.
- 你 不 喜欢 我 吗?Do you not like me?
- 我们 都 不 喝 酒。We all don't drink alcohol.
- 他们 不 是 坏 孩子。They are not bad kids.
- 我 今天 不 想 工作。I don't want to work today.
- 今天 你 不 去 上课 吗?Today you are not going to class?
- 太 贵 了,我 不 买。Too expensive! I'm not buying it.
- 为什么 你 不 喜欢 喝 咖啡?Why don't you like to drink coffee?
- 很多 年轻 人 都 不 喜欢 运动。Many young people don't like exercising.
- 你 的 朋友 都 不 想 去 这 个 派对 吗?None of your friends want to go to this party?
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。
- 我 没有 时间。I don't have time.
Negating Adjectives
Turns out that the structure is basically the same.
Structure
Subject + 不 + Adjective
Examples
- 我 不 饿。I'm not hungry.
- 他 不 热。He is not hot.
- 这 个 不 贵。This is not expensive.
- 我们 学校 不 大。Our school is not big.
- 这里 的 咖啡 不 好喝。The coffee here is not good.
- 我 觉得 那 个 女 孩子 不 漂亮。I think that girl is not pretty.
- 我 哥哥 不 高,但是 很 帅。My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.
- 我 很 不 高兴。I am not happy.
- 这 个 人 不 好。This person is not good.
- 吃 这 种 东西 不 健康。Eating this stuff is not healthy.
See also
Sources and Further Reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 31) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 45) →buy
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 146-150) →buy
Videos
- Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 不