Negation of "you" with "mei"

The verb 有 (yǒu) is negated differently from ordinary verbs.

Structure

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

Subject + 没 + 有 + Object

Examples

• 他 没 有 钱。He doesn't have money.
• 爸爸 没 有 手机。Dad doesn't have a mobile phone.
• 我 没 有 狗。I don't have a dog.
• 在 上海， 我 没 有 朋友。In Shanghai, I have no friends.
• 这 个 星期，我没 有 时间。This week, I have no time.
• 我们 没 有 房子。We don't have house.
• 我 太太 现在 没 有 工作。My wife doesn't have a job.
• 我们 没 有 孩子。We don't have children.
• 我 没 有 房子，没 有 车 ，也没 有 女 朋友。I don't have a house, a car, or a girlfriend.
• 我们 公司 没 有 电脑。Our company doesn't have computers.

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

• 我 不 有 汽车。Never use 不 with 有!
• 我 没 有 汽车。Always use 没 with 有.I don't have a car.

Never use 不 with 有.

See also

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

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

Videos

• Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 没