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

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* 我 太太 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans">My wife didn't cook dinner.</span>
 
* 我 太太 <em>没</em> 做 饭。<span class="trans">My wife didn't cook dinner.</span>
 
* 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
 
* 宝宝 <em>没</em> 哭。<span class="trans">The baby didn't cry.</span>
* 你 <em>没</em> 生病。<span class="trans">You have not been sick.</span>
+
* 你 <em>没</em> 生病。<span class="trans">You didn't get sick.</span>
* 我 <em>没</em> 学习 中文。<span class="trans">I haven't studied Chinese.</span>
+
* 我 <em>没</em> 学习 中文。<span class="trans">I didn't study Chinese.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 08:47, 29 November 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

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

Note that you can shorten 没有 to just 没:

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

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 cautious of it.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Videos