Standard negation with "bu"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
Use 不 (bù) to negate verbs in the present or future.
Contents
Negating Verbs
Structure
The standard way to negate verbs in Chinese is with 不. To negate a verb, simply place 不 before it:
Subject + 不 + Verb + Object
Examples
- 我 不 是 德国人。I am not German.
- 他 不 喜欢 你。He does not like you.
- 她 不 喝 酒。She doesn't drink beer.
- 我 不 是 好 学生。I am not a good student.
- 我 不 想 工作。I don't want to work.
- 很多 年轻 人 不 运动。Many young people don't exercise.
- 今天 我 不 去 上课。Today I am not going to class.
- 我 不 喜欢 这 个 派对。I don't like this party.
- 这么 贵，我 不 买。How expensive! I'm not buying it.
- 为什么 你 不 喜欢 喝 咖啡？Why don't you like to drink coffee?
Almost all verbs can be negated with 不 (unless you're talking about the past). The only verb that can never be negated with 不 is 有.
- 我 不有 时间。
- 我 没有 时间。I don't have time.
Negating Adjectives
Surprise! The structure is basically the same.
Structure
Subject + 不 + Adjective
Examples
- 我 不 饿。I'm not hungry.
- 他 不 热。He is not hot.
- 这 个 不 贵。This is not expensive.
- 我们 学校 不 大。Our school is not big.
- 这里 的 咖啡 不 好喝。The coffee here is not good.
- 我 觉得 那 个 女 孩子 不 漂亮。I think that girl is not pretty.
- 我 哥哥 不 高，但是 很 帅。My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.
- 我 很 不 高兴。I am not happy.
- 这 个 人 不 好。This person is not good.
- 吃 这 种 东西 不 健康。Eating this stuff is not healthy.
See also
Sources and Further Reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 31) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 45) →buy
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 146-150) →buy
Videos
- Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 不
