Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""
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* 她 <em>没有</em> 看到 你。<span class="trans">I didn't see you.</span>
 
* 她 <em>没有</em> 看到 你。<span class="trans">I didn't see you.</span>
 
* 我 <em>没有</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span>
 
* 我 <em>没有</em> 吃 早饭。<span class="trans">I didn't eat breakfast.</span>
−
* 昨天 我 <em>没有</em> 睡觉。<span class="trans"></span>
+
* 昨天 我 <em>没有</em> 睡觉。<span class="trans">Yesterday I didn't sleep.</span>
−
* 我 <em>没有</em> 买 水果。<span class="trans"></span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 买 水果。<span class="trans">I haven't bought fruit.</span>
−
* 我 太太 <em>没有</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans"></span>
+
* 我 太太 <em>没有</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans">My wife hasn't cooked dinner.</span>
−
* 宝宝 <em>没有</em> 哭。<span class="trans"></span>
+
* 宝宝 <em>没有</em> 哭。<span class="trans">The baby hasn't cried.</span>
−
* 你 <em>没有</em> 生病。<span class="trans"></span>
+
* 你 <em>没有</em> 生病。<span class="trans">You have not been sick.</span>
−
* 我 <em>没有</em> 学习 中文。<span class="trans"></span>
+
* 我 <em>没有</em> 学习 中文。<span class="trans">I haven't studied Chinese.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 07:27, 25 October 2013

Use 没有 (méiyǒu) to negate past actions (to say that someone didn't do something, or something didn't happen).

Structure

Usually verbs can be negated with 不, but that construction is used for habitual or present actions. If the verb is about an action in the past, though, 没有 should be used:

Subject + 没有 + Verb

Examples

  • 我 没有 去 酒吧。I didn't go to bar.
  • 他们 没有 说话。They didn't speak.
  • 我 没有 喝 你的 啤酒。I didn't drink your beer.
  • 她 没有 看到 你。I didn't see you.
  • 我 没有 吃 早饭。I didn't eat breakfast.
  • 昨天 我 没有 睡觉。Yesterday I didn't sleep.
  • 我 没有 买 水果。I haven't bought fruit.
  • 我 太太 没有 做 饭。My wife hasn't cooked dinner.
  • 宝宝 没有 哭。The baby hasn't cried.
  • 你 没有 生病。You have not been sick.
  • 我 没有 学习 中文。I haven't studied Chinese.

Note that you can shorten 没有 to just 没:

  • 我 没 去 酒吧。I didn't go to bar.
  • 他们 没 说话。They didn't speak.
  • 我 没 喝 你的 啤酒。I didn't drink your beer.
  • 她 没 看到 你。I didn't see you.
  • 我 没 吃 早饭。I didn't eat breakfast.
  • 昨天 我 没 睡觉。
  • 我 没 买 水果。
  • 我 太太 没 做 饭。
  • 宝宝 没 哭。
  • 你 没 生病。
  • 我 没 学习 中文。

Remember that 了 is not used with 没有. 了 marks completed actions, whilst 没有 is used for actions that didn't happen. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for Chinese beginners, so be sure to be attentive to it.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Videos

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