Expressing possession with "you"

Chinese-grammar-wiki-you.jpg

有 (yǒu) can be used in various ways, but the most basic meaning of this verb you need to know is "to have."

Structure

Subj. + 有 + Noun

Examples

  • 钱。yǒu qián.I have money.
  • 房子 吗?yǒu fángzi ma?Do you have a house?
  • 车。yǒu chē.She has a car.
  • 女 朋友 吗? yǒu nǚpéngyou ma?Does he have a girlfriend?
  • 一 个 太太。yǒu yīgè tàitài.He has a wife.
  • 两 个 女儿 。yǒu liǎng gè nǚ'ér.He has two daughters.
  • 很 多 小狗。yǒu hěnduō xiǎo gǒu.He has many puppies.
  • 什么?yǒu shénme?What do you have?
  • iPad 吗?yǒu iPad ma?Do you have an iPad?
  • 工作 吗?yǒu gōngzuò ma?Do you have a job?

Negating 有

The verb 有 (yǒu) is negated in a special way. It is not negated with 不 (bù), like most verbs; it is negated with 没 (méi). The negative form of 有 (yǒu) is 没有 (méiyǒu). For more on that topic, see our article on negation of "you".

See also

Sources and further reading