Negation of past actions with "meiyou"

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 (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。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 (méiyǒu) to just 没 (méi):

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 (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.

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