Negation of past actions with "meiyou"

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 (bù), but that construction is used for habitual or present actions. If the verb is about an action in the past, though, 没有 (méiyǒu) should be used:

Subject + 没有 + Verb

Examples

• 我 没有 去 酒吧。Wǒ méiyǒu qù jiǔbā.I didn't go to a bar.
• 他们 没有 说话。Tāmen méiyǒu shuōhuà.They didn't speak.
• 我 没有 喝 你 的 啤酒。Wǒ méiyǒu hē nǐ de píjiǔ.I didn't drink your beer.
• 她 没有 看到 你。Tā méiyǒu kàn dào nǐ.She didn't see you.
• 我 没有 吃 早饭。Wǒ méiyǒu chī zǎofàn.I didn't eat breakfast.
• 昨天 我 没有 睡觉。Zuótiān wǒ méiyǒu shuìjiào.Yesterday I didn't sleep.
• 我 没有 买 水果。Wǒ méiyǒu mǎi shuǐguǒ.I didn't buy fruit.
• 我 太太 没有 做 饭。Wǒ tàitài méiyǒu zuò fàn.My wife didn't cook.
• 宝宝 没有 哭。Bǎobǎo méiyǒu kū.The baby didn't cry.
• 你 没有 生病。Nǐ méiyǒu shēngbìng.You didn't get sick.
• 我 没有 学习 中文。Wǒ méiyǒu xuéxí zhōngwén.I didn't study Chinese.

Note that you can shorten 没有 (méiyǒu) to just 没 (méi):

• 我 没 去 酒吧。Wǒ méi qù jiǔbā.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 (le) marks completed actions, while 没有 (méiyǒu) 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.

See also

• Negation of "you"
• Standard negation with bu

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