Difference between revisions of "Expressing "don't need to" with "buyong""

 
(16 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
In Chinese, 要 (yào) has many meanings, one of which is "need to." However, when you want to express "don't need to", you actually use 不用 (bùyòng), not 不要 (bùyào).
+
In Chinese, [[Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings|要 (yào) has many meanings]], one of which is "need to." However, when you want to express "don't need to," you actually use 不用 (bùyòng), not 不要 (bùyào).
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
Line 13: Line 13:
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
 +
*<em>不用</em> 谢 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Bùyòng</em> xiè.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to thank me.</span>
 
*<em>不用</em> 担心 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Bùyòng</em> dānxīn.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to worry.</span>
 
*<em>不用</em> 担心 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Bùyòng</em> dānxīn.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to worry.</span>
*<em>不用</em> 你 帮忙 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Bùyòng</em> nǐ bāngmáng.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to help.</span>
+
*孩子 <em>不用</em> 买 票 。<span class="pinyin">Háizi <em>bùyòng</em> mǎi piào.</span><span class="trans">Kids don't need to buy tickets.</span>
 +
*<em>不用</em> 过去 ,她 会 过来 的 。<span class="pinyin"><em>bùyòng</em> guòqù, tā huì guòlái de.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to go over there. She will come here.</span>
 
*今天 <em>不用</em> 加班 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān <em>bùyòng</em> jiābān.</span><span class="trans">We don't need to work overtime today.</span>
 
*今天 <em>不用</em> 加班 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān <em>bùyòng</em> jiābān.</span><span class="trans">We don't need to work overtime today.</span>
*这 件 事<em>不用</em> 跟 他 说 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn shì <em>bùyòng</em> gēn tā shuō.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to tell him about this.</span>
+
*这 件 事 <em>不用</em> 跟 他 说 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn shì <em>bùyòng</em> gēn tā shuō.</span><span class="trans">You don't need to tell him about this.</span>
 
*告诉 他 明天 <em>不用</em> 来 了 。<span class="pinyin">Gàosu tā míngtiān <em>bùyòng</em> lái le.</span><span class="trans">Tell him that he doesn't need to come tomorrow.</span>
 
*告诉 他 明天 <em>不用</em> 来 了 。<span class="pinyin">Gàosu tā míngtiān <em>bùyòng</em> lái le.</span><span class="trans">Tell him that he doesn't need to come tomorrow.</span>
*大家 <em>不用</em> 给 我 买 礼物 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā <em>bùyòng</em> gěi wǒ mǎi lǐwù.</span><span class="trans">Guys, you don't need to buy me presents.</span>
+
*买 吧 ,<em>不用</em> 考虑 价钱 。<span class="pinyin">Mǎi ba, <em>bùyòng</em> kǎolǜ jiàqián.</span><span class="trans">Buy it. You don't need to consider the price.</span>
 
*今天 人 少,<em>不用</em> 排队 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān rén shǎo, <em>bùyòng</em> páiduì.</span><span class="trans">There aren't many people today. We don't need to wait in line.</span>
 
*今天 人 少,<em>不用</em> 排队 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān rén shǎo, <em>bùyòng</em> páiduì.</span><span class="trans">There aren't many people today. We don't need to wait in line.</span>
*五岁 的 孩子 <em>不用</em> 买 票 。<span class="pinyin"> Wǔ suì de háizi <em>bùyòng</em> mǎi piào.</span><span class="trans">Five-year-olds don't need to buy tickets.</span>
+
*你们 <em>不用</em> 都 来 ,我们 不 需要 这么 多 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>bùyòng</em> dōu lái, wǒmen bù xūyào zhème duō rén.</span><span class="trans">Not all of you need to come. We don't need this many people.</span>
*新 员工 <em>不用</em> 参加 这个 会议 。<span class="pinyin">Xīn yuángōng <em>bùyòng</em> cānjiā zhège huìyì.</span><span class="trans">New employees don't need to attend this meeting.</span>
 
*我们 只 去 两 天, 你 <em>不用</em> 带 这么 多 衣服 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zhǐ qù liǎng tiān, nǐ <em>bùyòng</em> dài zhème duō yīfu.</span><span class="trans">We are only going for two days. You don't need to take this much clothing.</span>
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
Line 28: Line 28:
 
== Colloquial Saying ==
 
== Colloquial Saying ==
  
In spoken Chinese, the rhetorical question, "这还用说(吗)?", indicates the speaker believes that the statement is obvious. It is equivalent to the speaker saying, "is that seriously a question?" or "do you really need to ask?" Often "这还用说(吗)?" is said in an impatient tone of voice.  
+
In spoken Chinese, the rhetorical question, "这还用说吗?" indicates the speaker believes that the statement is obvious. It is equivalent to the speaker saying, "does that even need to be said?" or "is that seriously a question?" This 用 is the direct opposite of the 不用 in this grammar point, but you don't hear it a lot.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
Line 36: Line 36:
 
* [[Negative commands with "bu yao"]]
 
* [[Negative commands with "bu yao"]]
  
== Source and further reading ==
+
== Sources and further reading ==
  
 
=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
Line 42: Line 42:
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 +
{{HSK|HSK4}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|不用|B1|Subj. + 不用 + Verb Phrase|<em>不用</em> 担心 。|grammar point| ASGECD0E}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|不用|B1|Subj. + 不用 + Verb Phrase|<em>不用</em> 担心 。|grammar point| ASGECD0E}}
 
{{Similar|Negative commands with "bie"}}
 
{{Similar|Negative commands with "bie"}}
 
{{Similar|Negative commands with "buyao"}}
 
{{Similar|Negative commands with "buyao"}}
 
{{Similar|Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings}}
 
{{Similar|Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings}}
{{POS|Verbs}}
+
{{Similar|Expressing "must" with "dei"}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Translation|don't need to}}
 
{{Translation|don't need to}}
 +
{{POS|Verbs}}
 +
{{Subprop|Auxiliary verbs}}

Latest revision as of 07:37, 22 April 2019

In Chinese, 要 (yào) has many meanings, one of which is "need to." However, when you want to express "don't need to," you actually use 不用 (bùyòng), not 不要 (bùyào).

Structure

Subj. + 不用 + [Verb Phrase]

Examples

  • 不用 谢 。Bùyòng xiè.You don't need to thank me.
  • 不用 担心 。Bùyòng dānxīn.You don't need to worry.
  • 孩子 不用 买 票 。Háizi bùyòng mǎi piào.Kids don't need to buy tickets.
  • 不用 过去 ,她 会 过来 的 。bùyòng guòqù, tā huì guòlái de.You don't need to go over there. She will come here.
  • 今天 不用 加班 。Jīntiān bùyòng jiābān.We don't need to work overtime today.
  • 这 件 事 不用 跟 他 说 。Zhè jiàn shì bùyòng gēn tā shuō.You don't need to tell him about this.
  • 告诉 他 明天 不用 来 了 。Gàosu tā míngtiān bùyòng lái le.Tell him that he doesn't need to come tomorrow.
  • 买 吧 ,不用 考虑 价钱 。Mǎi ba, bùyòng kǎolǜ jiàqián.Buy it. You don't need to consider the price.
  • 今天 人 少,不用 排队 。Jīntiān rén shǎo, bùyòng páiduì.There aren't many people today. We don't need to wait in line.
  • 你们 不用 都 来 ,我们 不 需要 这么 多 人 。Nǐmen bùyòng dōu lái, wǒmen bù xūyào zhème duō rén.Not all of you need to come. We don't need this many people.

Colloquial Saying

In spoken Chinese, the rhetorical question, "这还用说吗?" indicates the speaker believes that the statement is obvious. It is equivalent to the speaker saying, "does that even need to be said?" or "is that seriously a question?" This 用 is the direct opposite of the 不用 in this grammar point, but you don't hear it a lot.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books