Negation of "you" with "mei"

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

• 我们 没有 问题 。 Wǒmen méiyǒu wèntí. I don't have any questions.
• 我 现在 没 有 钱 。 Wǒ xiànzàiméi yǒu qián. I don't have money.
• 你们 没 有 孩子 吗？ Nǐmen méiyǒu háizi ma? Do you not have children?
• 他 没有 工作 。 Tā méi yǒu gōngzuò. He doesn't have a job.
• 我爸爸 没 有 手机 。Wǒbàba méiyǒu shǒujī. Dad doesn't have a cell phone.
• 他们 没有 房子。 Tāmen méiyǒufángzi. They don't have a house.
• 你们 家 没有 车 吗？ Nǐmen jiā méiyǒu chē ma? Does your family not have a car?
• 这 个 星期 我 没 有 时间 。Zhè ge xīngqī wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān. This week I have no time.
• 我 的 老师 现在 没有 男朋友 。 Wǒ de lǎoshī xiànzài méiyǒu nánpéngyou. My teacher now doesn't have a boyfriend.
• 你 在 上海 没 有 朋友 吗？ Nǐ zài Shànghǎi méiyǒu péngyou ma? Do you not have friends in Shanghai？

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:

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

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

See also

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

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
• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 35) →buy

Videos

• Yoyo Chinese: Negation word 没