Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""
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| − | 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. | + | 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 attentive to it. |
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 02:51, 3 June 2013
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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
- 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。I didn't see you.
- 我 没有 吃 早饭。I didn't eat breakfast.
Note that you can shorten 没有 to just 没:
- 我 没 去。I didn't go.
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 attentive to it.
See also
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
