Difference between revisions of "Negation of "you" with "mei""

m (Text replacement - "péngyǒu" to "péngyou")
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* 我 <em>没有</em> 车 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> chē.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a car.</span>
 
* 我 <em>没有</em> 车 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> chē.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a car.</span>
 
* 我 现在 <em>没有</em> 时间 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <em>méiyǒu</em> shíjiān.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have time right now.</span>
 
* 我 现在 <em>没有</em> 时间 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <em>méiyǒu</em> shíjiān.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have time right now.</span>
* 这 个 星期 , 我 <em>没 </em> 有 时间 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè xīngqī, wǒ <em>méi</em> yǒu shíjiān.</span>  <span class="trans">This week, I have no time. </span>
+
* 这 个 星期 , 我 <em>没 </em> 有 时间 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè ge xīngqī, wǒ <em>méi</em> yǒu shíjiān.</span>  <span class="trans">This week, I have no time. </span>
 
* 老师 <em>没有</em> 男朋友 。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>méiyǒu</em> nánpéngyou.</span> <span class="trans">The teacher doesn't have a boyfriend.</span>
 
* 老师 <em>没有</em> 男朋友 。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī <em>méiyǒu</em> nánpéngyou.</span> <span class="trans">The teacher doesn't have a boyfriend.</span>
 
* 在 上海, 我 <em>没 </em> 有 朋友 。<span class="pinyin">Zài Shànghǎi, wǒ <em>méi</em> yǒu péngyou.</span>  <span class="trans">In Shanghai, I have no friends. </span>
 
* 在 上海, 我 <em>没 </em> 有 朋友 。<span class="pinyin">Zài Shànghǎi, wǒ <em>méi</em> yǒu péngyou.</span>  <span class="trans">In Shanghai, I have no friends. </span>

Revision as of 02:54, 17 August 2015

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).

Subject + 没 + 有 + Object

Examples

  • 没有 问题 。 méiyǒu wèntí. I don't have any questions.
  • 有 钱 。méi yǒu qián. He doesn't have money.
  • 没有 工作 。 méiyǒu gōngzuò. I don't have a job.
  • 没有 电脑 。 méiyǒu diànnǎo. I don't have a computer.
  • 爸爸 有 手机 。Bàba méi yǒu shǒujī. Dad doesn't have a cell phone.
  • 没有 房子 。 méiyǒu fángzi. You don't have a house.
  • 没有 车 。 méiyǒu chē. I don't have a car.
  • 我 现在 没有 时间 。 Wǒ xiànzài méiyǒu shíjiān. I don't have time right now.
  • 这 个 星期 , 我 有 时间 。Zhè ge xīngqī, wǒ méi yǒu shíjiān. This week, I have no time.
  • 老师 没有 男朋友 。 Lǎoshī méiyǒu nánpéngyou. The teacher doesn't have a boyfriend.
  • 在 上海, 我 有 朋友 。Zài Shànghǎi, wǒ méi yǒu péngyou. In Shanghai, I have no friends.
  • 我 太太 现在 有 工作 。Wǒ tàitai xiànzài méi yǒu gōngzùo. My wife doesn't have a job right now.
  • 我们 有 孩子 。Wǒmen méi yǒu háizi. We don't have children.
  • 有 房子 , 有 车 ,也 有 女 朋友。méi yǒu fángzǐ, méi yǒu chē, yě méi yǒu nǚpéngyou. I don't have a house, a car, or a girlfriend.

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:

  • 车。Never use 不 with 有! yǒu chē.
  • 车。Always use 没 with 有.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.

  • 工作 。 méi gōngzùo. I don't have a job.
  • 朋友 。 méi péngyou. I don't have friends.
  • 钱 。 méi qián. I don't have money.
  • 我 现在 时间 。 Wǒ xiànzài méi shíjiān. I don't have time right now.
  • 车 。 méi chē. I don't have a car.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Videos