Negation of "you" with "mei"

The verb 有 (yǒu) is negated differently from ordinary verbs. Rather than placing 不 (bù) before it as with other verbs, you must use 没 (méi) to negate the verb 有 (yǒu).

Structure

Nearly all verbs can be negated with 不 (bù). The verb 有 (yǒu) is an exception, and must be negated with 没 (méi).

Subj. + 没 + 有 + Obj.

Examples

• 我 没有 问题。 Wǒ méiyǒu wèntí. I don't have any questions.
• 我们 现在 没有 钱。 Wǒmen xiànzài méi yǒu qián. We now don't have money.
• 他 没有 工作 吗？ Tā méi yǒu gōngzuò ma? Does he not have a job?
• 他们 没有 爸爸妈妈。 Tāmen méiyǒu bàba māma. They don't have parents.
• 我们 在 北京 没有 房子。 Wǒmen zài Běijīng méiyǒu fángzi. We don't have a house in Beijing.
• 你爸爸 没有 手机 吗？ Nǐbàba méiyǒu shǒujī ma? Does your dad not have a cell phone?
• 你们 在 上海 没有朋友 吗？ Nǐmen zài Shànghǎi méiyǒu péngyou ma? Do you not have friends in Shanghai?
• 我 的 老师 现在 没有 男朋友。 Wǒ de lǎoshī xiànzài méiyǒu nánpéngyou. My teacher now doesn't have a boyfriend.
• 他们 都 没有 电脑 吗？Tāmen dōu méiyǒu diànnǎo ma? Do they all have no computers?
• 这 个 周末 你们 都 没有 时间 吗？Zhè ge zhōumò nǐmen dōu méiyǒu shíjiān ma? This weekend do you all have no time?

Remember that trying to negate 有 (yǒu) with 不 (bù) is a classic mistake that many people make in the early stages of studying Chinese:

• 我 不 有 车。Never use 不 with 有!Wǒ bù yǒu chē.
• 我 没 有 车。Always use 没 with 有.Wǒ méi yǒu chē.I don't have a car.

Never use 不 (bù) with 有 (yǒu).

The Short Form of 没有 is 没

没有 (méiyǒu) can be shortened to 没 (méi) without altering its meaning.

• 我 没 钱。 Wǒ méi qián. I don't have money.
• 你 没 男朋友 吗？ Nǐ méi nán péngyou ma? Do you not have a boyfriend ?
• 你们 没 车 吗？ Nǐmen méi chē ma? Do you not have a car?
• 老板 现在 没 时间。 Lǎobǎn xiànzài méi shíjiān. Boss doesn't have time right now.
• 我 没 工作，我 老公 也 没 工作。 Wǒ méi gōngzuò, wǒ lǎogōng yě méi gōngzuò. I don't have a job.Neither does my husband.

See also

• Standard negation with "bu"
• Inability with "mei banfa"
• Comparing "bu" and "mei"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 51) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 382) →buy
• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 35) →buy

Videos

• Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 没