Difference between revisions of "Negation of "you" with "mei""

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<div class="liju">
  
* 我 <em>没有</em> 工作。<span class="trans">I don't have a job.</span>
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* 我 <em>没有</em> 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> gōngzùo.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a job.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 面包。<span class="trans">I don't have bread.</span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 朋友 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>méiyǒu</em> péngyǒu.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have friends.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 朋友。<span class="trans">I don't have friends.</span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 钱 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> qián.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have money.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 钱。<span class="trans">I don't have money.</span>
+
* 我 现在 <em>没有</em> 时间 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiànzài <em>méiyǒu</em> shíjiān.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have time right now.</span>
* 我 现在 <em>没有</em> 时间。<span class="trans">I don't have time right now.</span>
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* 我 <em>没有</em> 电脑 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> diànnǎo.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a computer.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 电脑。<span class="trans">I don't have a computer.</span>
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* 我 <em>没有</em> 手机 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> shǒujī.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a cell phone.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 手机。<span class="trans">I don't have a cell phone.</span>
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* 我 <em>没有</em> 房子 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> fángzi.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a house.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 房子。<span class="trans">I don't have a house.</span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 车 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> chē.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a car.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 车。<span class="trans">I don't have a car.</span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 女朋友 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méiyǒu</em> nǚpéngyou.</span> <span class="trans">I don't have a girlfriend.</span>
* 我 <em>没有</em> 女朋友。<span class="trans">I don't have a girlfriend.</span>
 
 
* 他 <em>没 </em> 有 钱 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méi</em> yǒu qián.</span>  <span class="trans">He doesn't have money. </span>
 
* 他 <em>没 </em> 有 钱 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méi</em> yǒu qián.</span>  <span class="trans">He doesn't have money. </span>
 
* 爸爸 <em>没 </em> 有 手机 。<span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>méi</em> yǒu shǒujī.</span>  <span class="trans">Dad doesn't have a cell phone. </span>
 
* 爸爸 <em>没 </em> 有 手机 。<span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>méi</em> yǒu shǒujī.</span>  <span class="trans">Dad doesn't have a cell phone. </span>

Revision as of 09:51, 19 September 2014

The verb 有 (yǒu) is negated differently from ordinary verbs. Rather than putting 不 (bù) before it, you put 没 (méi) before it.

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

  • 没有 工作 。 méiyǒu gōngzùo. I don't have a job.
  • 没有 朋友 。 méiyǒu péngyǒu. I don't have friends.
  • 没有 钱 。 méiyǒu qián. I don't have money.
  • 我 现在 没有 时间 。 Wǒ xiànzài méiyǒu shíjiān. I don't have time right now.
  • 没有 电脑 。 méiyǒu diànnǎo. I don't have a computer.
  • 没有 手机 。 méiyǒu shǒujī. I don't have a cell phone.
  • 没有 房子 。 méiyǒu fángzi. I don't have a house.
  • 没有 车 。 méiyǒu chē. I don't have a car.
  • 没有 女朋友 。 méiyǒu nǚpéngyou. I don't have a girlfriend.
  • 有 钱 。méi yǒu qián. He doesn't have money.
  • 爸爸 有 手机 。Bàba méi yǒu shǒujī. Dad doesn't have a cell phone.
  • 有 狗 。méi yǒu gǒu. I don't have a dog.
  • 在 上海, 我 有 朋友 。Zài Shànghǎi, wǒ méi yǒu péngyou. In Shanghai, I have no friends.
  • 这 个 星期 , 我 有 时间 。Zhè gè xīngqī, wǒ méi yǒu shíjiān. This week, I have no time.
  • 我们 有 房子 。Wǒmen méi yǒu fángzi. We don't have a house.
  • 我 太太 现在 有 工作 。Wǒ tàitai xiànzài méi yǒu gōngzùo. My wife doesn't have a job right now.
  • 我们 有 孩子 。Wǒmen méi yǒu háizi. We don't have children.
  • 有 房子 , 有 车 ,也 有 女 朋友。méi yǒu fángzǐ, méi yǒu chē, yě méi yǒu nǚpéngyou. I don't have a house, a car, or a girlfriend.
  • 我们 公司 有 电脑 。Wǒmen gōngsī méi yǒu diànnǎo. Our company doesn't have computers.

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:

  • 车。Never use 不 with 有! yǒu chē.
  • 车。Always use 没 with 有.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.
  • 工作。I don't have a job.
  • 朋友。I don't have friends.
  • 钱。I don't have money.
  • 我 现在 时间。I don't have time right now.
  • 车。I don't have a car.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Videos