Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""

Revision as of 01:33, 12 February 2014

Level

A1 / HSK1
Level

A1
Level

HSK1
Similar to
- Negation of "you" with "mei" (A1)
- Standard negation with "bu" (A1)
- Comparing "bu" and "mei" (A2)
Similar to
- Comparing "bu" and "mei" (HSK1)
- Negation of "you" with "mei" (HSK1)
- Standard negation with "bu" (HSK1)
Used for

Denying and refusing, Referring to the past
Keywords

没有, 没

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, but that construction is used for habitual or present actions. If the verb is about an action in the past, though, 没有 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 to just 没:

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 marks completed actions, while 没有 is used for actions that didn't happen. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for Chinese beginners, so you may want to keep it in mind.

Sources and further reading

Books

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 32) →buy
现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 383) →buy
Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 138-9) →buy

Videos

Yoyo Chinese: Negation with 没

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 * 他们 <em>没有</em> 说话。<span class="trans">They didn't speak.</span>
 * 我 <em>没有</em> 喝 你的 啤酒。<span class="trans">I didn't drink your beer.</span>
-* 她 <em>没有</em> 看到 你。<span class="trans">I didn't see you.</span>
+* 她 <em>没有</em> 看到 你。<span class="trans">She didn't see you.</span>
 * 我 <em>没有</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span>
 * 昨天 我 <em>没有</em> 睡觉。<span class="trans">Yesterday I didn't sleep.</span>
 * 我 <em>没有</em> 买 水果。<span class="trans">I didn't buy fruit.</span>
-* 我 太太 <em>没有</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans">My wife didn't cook dinner.</span>
+* 我 太太 <em>没有</em> 做饭。<span class="trans">My wife didn't cook.</span>
 * 宝宝 <em>没有</em> 哭。<span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
 * 你 <em>没有</em> 生病。<span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span>
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 * 他们 <em>没</em> 说话。<span class="trans">They didn't speak.</span>
 * 我 <em>没</em> 喝 你的 啤酒。<span class="trans">I didn't drink your beer.</span>
-* 她 <em>没</em> 看到 你。<span class="trans">I didn't see you.</span>
+* 她 <em>没</em> 看到 你。<span class="trans">She didn't see you.</span>
 * 我 <em>没</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span>
 * 昨天 我 <em>没</em> 睡觉。<span class="trans">Yesterday I didn't sleep.</span>
 * 我 <em>没</em> 买 水果。<span class="trans">I didn't buy fruit.</span>
-* 我 太太 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans">My wife didn't cook dinner.</span>
+* 我 太太 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans">My wife didn't cook.</span>
 * 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
 * 你 <em>没</em> 生病。<span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span>
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 </div>
-Remember that '''了 is not used with 没有'''. 了 marks completed actions, whilst 没有 is used for actions that ''didn't happen''. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for Chinese beginners, so be sure to be cautious of it.
+Remember that '''了 is not used with 没有'''. [[了]] marks completed actions, while 没有 is used for actions that ''didn't happen''. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for Chinese beginners, so you may want to keep it in mind.
 ==See also==