Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""
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* 她 <em>没有</em> 看到 你。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> kàn dào nǐ.</span><span class="trans">She didn't see you.</span>
 
* 她 <em>没有</em> 看到 你。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méiyǒu</em> kàn dào nǐ.</span><span class="trans">She didn't see you.</span>
 
* 我 <em>没有</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> chī zǎofàn.</span><span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span>
 
* 我 <em>没有</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> chī zǎofàn.</span><span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span>
−
* 昨天 我 <em>没有</em> 睡觉。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> shuìjiào.</span><span class="trans">Yesterday I didn't sleep.</span>
 
−
* 我 <em>没有</em> 买 水果。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> mǎi shuǐguǒ.</span><span class="trans">I didn't buy fruit.</span>
 
−
* 我 太太 <em>没有</em> 做 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tàitài <em>méiyǒu</em> zuò fàn.</span><span class="trans">My wife didn't cook.</span>
 
 
* 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="expl">有 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>méi</em> kū.</span><span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
 
* 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="expl">有 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>méi</em> kū.</span><span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
−
* 你 <em>没</em> 生病。<span class="expl">有 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>méi</em> shēngbìng.</span><span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span>
+
* 你 昨天 <em>没</em> 回家 吗？<span class="expl">有 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ zuótiān <em>méi</em> huíjiā ma?</span><span class="trans">You didn't go back home yesterday?</span>
−
* 我 <em>没</em> 学习 中文。<span class="expl">有 has been omitted here.</span><span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi</em> xuéxí Zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">I didn't study Chinese.</span>
+
* 老板 今天 <em>没</em> 来 公司 吗？<span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn jīntiān <em>méiyǒu</em> gōngsī ma?</span><span class="trans">The boss didn't come to the company today?</span>
 +
* 老师 今天 <em>没</em> 来 上课。<span class="pinyin"> Lǎoshī jīntiān <em>méi</em> lái shàngkè.</span><span class="trans">The teacher didn't come to the class today.</span>
 +
* 妈妈 晚上 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="pinyin"> Māma wǎnshàng <em>méi</em> zuò fàn.</span><span class="trans">Mom didn't cook food this evening.</span>
 +
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Revision as of 10:12, 18 September 2015

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 (bù), but that construction is used for habitual or present actions. If the verb is about an action in the past, though, 没有 (méiyǒu) should be used:

Subj. + 没有 / 没 + Verb

Note that you can shorten 没有 (méiyǒu) to just 没 (méi).

Examples

  • 我 没有 去 酒吧。Wǒ méiyǒu qù jiǔbā.I didn't go to a bar.
  • 他们 没有 说话。Tāmen méiyǒu shuōhuà.They didn't speak.
  • 我 没有 喝 你 的 啤酒。Wǒ méiyǒu hē nǐ de píjiǔ.I didn't drink your beer.
  • 她 没有 看到 你。Tā méiyǒu kàn dào nǐ.She didn't see you.
  • 我 没有 吃 早饭。Wǒ méiyǒu chī zǎofàn.I didn't eat breakfast.
  • 宝宝 没 哭。有 has been omitted here.Bǎobǎo méi kū.The baby didn't cry.
  • 你 昨天 没 回家 吗？有 has been omitted here.Nǐ zuótiān méi huíjiā ma?You didn't go back home yesterday?
  • 老板 今天 没 来 公司 吗？ Lǎobǎn jīntiān méiyǒu gōngsī ma?The boss didn't come to the company today?
  • 老师 今天 没 来 上课。 Lǎoshī jīntiān méi lái shàngkè.The teacher didn't come to the class today.
  • 妈妈 晚上 没 做 饭。 Māma wǎnshàng méi zuò fàn.Mom didn't cook food this evening.

Remember that 了 (le) is not used with 没有 (méiyǒu). 了 (le) marks completed actions, while 没有 (méiyǒu) is used for actions that didn't happen. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for beginner learners of Chinese.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Videos

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