Difference between revisions of "Negation of past actions with "meiyou""

Revision as of 08:42, 14 March 2014

Level

A1 / HSK1
Level

A1
Level

HSK1
Similar to
- Negation of "you" with "mei" (A1)
- Standard negation with "bu" (A1)
- Comparing "bu" and "mei" (A2)
Similar to
- Comparing "bu" and "mei" (HSK1)
- Negation of "you" with "mei" (HSK1)
- Standard negation with "bu" (HSK1)
Used for

Denying and refusing, Referring to the past
Keywords

没有, 没

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 a 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。She 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 didn't buy fruit.
我太太没有做饭。My wife didn't cook.
宝宝没有哭。The baby didn't cry.
你没有生病。You didn't get sick.
我没有学习中文。I didn't study 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。She didn't see you.
我没吃早饭。I didn't eat breakfast.
昨天我没睡觉。Yesterday I didn't sleep.
我没买水果。I didn't buy fruit.
我太太没做饭。My wife didn't cook.
宝宝没哭。The baby didn't cry.
你没生病。You didn't get sick.
我没学习中文。I didn't study Chinese.

Remember that 了 is not used with 没有. 了 marks completed actions, while 没有 is used for actions that didn't happen. These two don't work together. This is a very common mistake for beginner learners of Chinese.

Sources and further reading

Books

Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (p. 32) →buy
现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 383) →buy
Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 138-9) →buy

Videos

Yoyo Chinese: Negation with 没

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 === Books ===
-* [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)]] (pp. 32) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy]
+* [[Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)]] (p. 32) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001N6R7DI&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001N6R7DI →buy]
-* [[现代汉语八百词（增订本）]]  (pp. 383) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
+* [[现代汉语八百词（增订本）]]  (p. 383) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
 * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 138-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]