Difference between revisions of "Expressing "double negation""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
[[Category:**URGENT**]]
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There are two main methods for double negation. The simpler method is to use a double negative with [[modal verb]]s like 会 or 能. The more complicated method is to negate both the subject and the predicate.
  
主要分两种,简单的是对能愿动词和谓语动词进行双重否定,较复杂的是对主语和谓语分别进行否定。
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== Negation Before a Negative Word ==
  
== Basic Usage ==
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=== Structure ===
  
=== Structure ===
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This pattern just uses 不是 right before a negated predicate:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 不 + 是 / 会 / 能 + 不 + [Verb Phrase]
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Subj. + 不是 + 不 / + Predicate
 
</div>
 
</div>
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This pattern uses modal verbs like 会, 能, or 可能, which are negated before a negated predicate:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 不 + 是 / 会 / 能 + 没 + [Verb Phrase]
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Subj. + 不 + 会 / 能 / 可能 + 不 / 没 + Predicate
 
</div>
 
</div>
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The [[predicate]] part of either pattern can be a verb or an adjective.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他 <em>不</em> <em>不</em> 知道 怎么 做 ,只是 不 想 做 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù</em> shì <em>bù</em> zhīdào zěnme zuò, zhǐshì bù xiǎng zuò.</span><span class="trans">It's not that he doesn't know how to do it, he just doesn't want to do it.</span>
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*他 <em>不</em> <em>不</em> 来 的 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù</em> huì <em>bù</em> lái  de.</span><span class="trans">There is no way he's not coming.</span>
*<em>不</em> <em>没有</em> 想法 ,只是 不 想 现在 就 说 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>bù</em> shì <em>méiyǒu</em> xiǎngfǎ, zhǐshì bù xiǎng xiànzài jiù shuō.</span><span class="trans">It's not that I don't have an opinion, I just don't want to say it right now.</span>
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*<em>不</em> 可能 <em></em> 知道 。<span class="pinyin"><em>bù</em> kěnéng <em></em> zhīdào.</span><span class="trans">There is no way she doesn't know about this.</span>  
*他 是 好 学生 ,<em></em> <em></em> 做 作业 的 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shì hǎo xuéshēng, <em>bù</em> huì <em>méi</em> zuò zuòyè de.</span><span class="trans">He is a good student; he can't not do his homework.</span>
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*她 太 害羞 了 ,<em>不是</em> <em></em> 礼貌 。<span class="pinyin">Tā tài hàixiū le, <em>bù shì</em> <em></em> lǐmào.</span><span class="trans">She's too shy; It's not that she's not polite.</span>
*老板 <em></em> <em></em> 同意 的 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>bù</em> huì <em></em> tóngyì de.</span><span class="trans">The boss can't disagree.</span>
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*<em>不是</em> <em>没有</em> 钱 ,是 不 想 乱 花 钱 。<span class="pinyin"><em>bù shì</em> <em>méiyǒu</em> qián, shì bù xiǎng luàn huā qián.</span><span class="trans">It's not that he doesn't have money; it's just he doesn't want to spend it recklessly.</span>
*买 票 <em>不</em> 能 <em>不</em> 排队 。<span class="pinyin">Mǎi piào <em>bù</em> néng <em>bù</em> páiduì.</span><span class="trans">Buying a ticket doesn't mean you don't have to wait in line.</span>
 
*他 是 你 最好 的 朋友 ,<em>不</em> 会 <em>不</em> 来 参加 你 的 婚礼 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shì nǐ zuìhǎo de péngyou, <em>bù</em> huì <em>bù</em> lái cānjiā nǐ de hūnlǐ.</span><span class="trans">He is your best friend. There is no possibility he won't come take part in your wedding.</span>
 
 
*我 知道 你 想 减肥 ,但是 <em>不</em> 能 <em>不</em> 吃 早饭 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhīdào nǐ xiǎng jiǎnféi, dànshì <em>bù</em> néng <em>bù</em> chī zǎofàn.</span><span class="trans">I know you want to lose weight, but you can't not eat breakfast.</span>
 
*我 知道 你 想 减肥 ,但是 <em>不</em> 能 <em>不</em> 吃 早饭 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zhīdào nǐ xiǎng jiǎnféi, dànshì <em>bù</em> néng <em>bù</em> chī zǎofàn.</span><span class="trans">I know you want to lose weight, but you can't not eat breakfast.</span>
*这 是 团队 活动 ,<em>不</em> 能 <em>不</em> 参加 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè shì tuánduì huódòng, <em>bù</em> néng <em>bù</em> cānjiā.</span><span class="trans">This is a team activity. You can't not participate.</span>
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Advanced Pattern ==
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== Negation Before a Singular Noun ==
  
这个结构用于遍指,常常用topic comment。"没有一个人"相当于"没有哪个人"或者"没有谁"
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This structure is used for saying things like "not a single one," often with [[Topic-comment sentences|topic comments]]. 没有一个人 ("not a single person") is equivalent to 没有谁 ("not anyone").
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
没有 + Single Noun + 不 / 没 + Adj. / [Verb Phrase]
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(Topic +) 没有 + [Singular Noun] + 不 / 没 + Predicate + 的
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>没有</em> 一 个 人 <em>不</em> 讨厌 他 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Méiyǒu</em> yī gè rén <em>bù</em> tǎoyàn tā.</span><span class="trans">There is not one person who doesn't dislike him.</span>
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*<em>没有</em> 一 个 人 <em>不</em> 讨厌 他 <strong>的</strong> 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Méiyǒu</em> yī gè rén <em>bù</em> tǎoyàn tā <strong>de</strong>.</span><span class="trans">There is not one person who doesn't dislike him.</span>
*我们 公司 <em>没有</em> 一 个 员工 <em>不</em> 会 说 英语 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen gōngsī <em>méiyǒu</em> yī gè yuángōng <em>bù</em> huì shuō Yīngyǔ de.</span><span class="trans">Our company doesn't have a single employee who can't speak English.</span>
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*这些 菜 <em>没有</em> 一 个 <em>不</em> 辣 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē cài <em>méiyǒu</em> yī gè <em>bù</em> là <strong>de</strong>.</span><span class="trans">There is no single one that is not spicy among these dishes.</span>
*女朋友 <em>没有</em> 一 个 <em>不</em> 漂亮 的 。<span class="pinyin">de nǚpéngyou <em>méiyǒu</em> yī gè <em>bù</em> piàoliang de.</span><span class="trans">None of his girlfriends were not beautiful.</span>
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*我们 公司 员工 <em>没有</em> 一 个 <em>不</em> 会 说 英语 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen gōngsī de yuángōng <em>méiyǒu</em> yī gè <em>bù</em> huì shuō Yīngyǔ <strong>de</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Our company doesn't have a single employee who can't speak English.</span>
*裙子 <em>没有</em> 一 <em>不</em> 是 白色 的 。<span class="pinyin">Tā de qúnzi <em>méiyǒu</em> yī jiàn <em>bù</em> shì báisè de.</span><span class="trans">She doesn't have a single dress that is not white.</span>
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*女朋友 <em>没有</em> 一 <em>不</em> 漂亮 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā de nǚpéngyou <em>méiyǒu</em> yī <em>bù</em> piàoliang <strong>de</strong>.</span><span class="trans">None of his girlfriends were not beautiful.</span>
*我们 <em>没有</em> 一 个 <em>没</em> 上 过 大学 的 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen jiā <em>méiyǒu</em> yī gè <em>méi</em> shàng guò dàxué de.</span><span class="trans">Our family doesn't have a single person who didn't go to college.</span>
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*我们 学校 的 学生 <em>没有</em> 一 个 <em>没</em> 参加 高考 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xuéxiào de xuéshēng <em>méiyǒu</em> yī gè <em>méi</em> cānjiā gāokǎo <strong>de</strong>.</span><span class="trans">In our school there wasn't a single student who didn't take the national college entrance exam.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
== See also ==
 
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|不|B1|Subj. + 不 + 是 / 会 / 能 / 可能 + 不 / 没 + [Verb Phrase]|<em>不</em> 是 <em>不</em> 知道 怎么 做 ,只是 不 想 做 。|grammar point|ASGEEA2D}}
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{{HSK|HSK0}}
{{Used for|Expressing emphasis}}
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{{Basic Grammar|不|B1|Subj. + 不是 + 不 / 没 + Predicate|<em>不</em> 是 <em>不</em> 知道 怎么 做 。|grammar point|ASGEEA2D}}
{{POS|Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Rel char|没}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "all" with "suoyou"}}
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{{Similar|Indicating the whole with "quan"}}
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{{Used for|Describing actions}}
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{{Used for|Expressing quantity}}
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{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Subprop|Basic/Simple Sentence Patterns}}

Latest revision as of 08:46, 24 April 2019

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There are two main methods for double negation. The simpler method is to use a double negative with modal verbs like 会 or 能. The more complicated method is to negate both the subject and the predicate.

Negation Before a Negative Word

Structure

This pattern just uses 不是 right before a negated predicate:

Subj. + 不是 + 不 / 没 + Predicate

This pattern uses modal verbs like 会, 能, or 可能, which are negated before a negated predicate:

Subj. + 不 + 会 / 能 / 可能 + 不 / 没 + Predicate

The predicate part of either pattern can be a verb or an adjective.

Examples

  • 来 的 。 huì lái de.There is no way he's not coming.
  • 可能 知道 。 kěnéng zhīdào.There is no way she doesn't know about this.
  • 她 太 害羞 了 ,不是 礼貌 。Tā tài hàixiū le, bù shì lǐmào.She's too shy; It's not that she's not polite.
  • 不是 没有 钱 ,是 不 想 乱 花 钱 。bù shì méiyǒu qián, shì bù xiǎng luàn huā qián.It's not that he doesn't have money; it's just he doesn't want to spend it recklessly.
  • 我 知道 你 想 减肥 ,但是 吃 早饭 。Wǒ zhīdào nǐ xiǎng jiǎnféi, dànshì néng chī zǎofàn.I know you want to lose weight, but you can't not eat breakfast.

Negation Before a Singular Noun

This structure is used for saying things like "not a single one," often with topic comments. 没有一个人 ("not a single person") is equivalent to 没有谁 ("not anyone").

Structure

(Topic +) 没有 + [Singular Noun] + 不 / 没 + Predicate + 的

Examples

  • 没有 一 个 人 讨厌 他 Méiyǒu yī gè rén tǎoyàn tā de.There is not one person who doesn't dislike him.
  • 这些 菜 没有 一 个 Zhèxiē cài méiyǒu yī gè de.There is no single one that is not spicy among these dishes.
  • 我们 公司 的 员工 没有 一 个 会 说 英语 Wǒmen gōngsī de yuángōng méiyǒu yī gè huì shuō Yīngyǔ de.Our company doesn't have a single employee who can't speak English.
  • 他 的 女朋友 没有 一 个 漂亮 Tā de nǚpéngyou méiyǒu yī gè piàoliang de.None of his girlfriends were not beautiful.
  • 我们 学校 的 学生 没有 一 个 参加 高考 Wǒmen xuéxiào de xuéshēng méiyǒu yī gè méi cānjiā gāokǎo de.In our school there wasn't a single student who didn't take the national college entrance exam.