Negation of past actions with "meiyou"

Revision as of 03:11, 15 October 2014 by Salome.vergne (talk | contribs)

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

  • 没有 去 酒吧。méiyǒu qù jiǔbā.I didn't go to a bar.
  • 他们 没有 说话。Tāmen méiyǒu shuōhuà.They didn't speak.
  • 没有 喝 你 的 啤酒。méiyǒu hē nǐ de píjiǔ.I didn't drink your beer.
  • 没有 看到 你。méiyǒu kàn dào nǐ.She didn't see you.
  • 没有 吃 早饭。méiyǒu chī zǎofàn.I didn't eat breakfast.
  • 昨天 我 没有 睡觉。Zuótiān wǒ méiyǒu shuìjiào.Yesterday I didn't sleep.
  • 没有 买 水果。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.
  • 没有 生病。méiyǒu shēngbìng.You didn't get sick.
  • 没有 学习 中文。méiyǒu xuéxí Zhōngwén.I didn't study Chinese.

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

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

Remember that 了 (le) is not used with 没有 (méiyǒu). 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

Sources and further reading

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