Negative commands with "bie"

This is one of the few times that Chinese seems to have a "contraction", like when "do not" is contracted to "don't".

Structure

As well as 不要, negative commands can also be formed with 别(bié). You could think of 别 as a contraction of 不要, as the structure is the same for both:

别 + Verb + (Object)

Examples

  • 走。Don't go.
  • 说话!Don't speak!
  • 生气!Don't get mad!
  • 笑!Don't laugh!
  • 喝 太 多 酒。Don't drink too much alcohol.
  • 喝 酒 以后 开车。After drinking alcohol, don't drive.
  • 吃饭 的 时候 看 电视。When eating, don't watch TV.
  • 哭。Don't cry.
  • 跟 我 说 英文。Don't speak English with me.
  • 小心,跑!Be careful, don't run!

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Videos

Books