Difference between revisions of "Standard negation with "bu""

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* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>饿</strong>。<span class="trans">I'm not hungry.</span>
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* 我 <em>不</em> <strong>饿</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>bù </em> <strong>è </strong>.</span><span class="trans">I'm not hungry.</span>
* 他 <em>不</em> <strong>热</strong>。<span class="trans">He is not hot.</span>
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* 他 <em>不</em> <strong>热</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù </em> <strong>rè </strong>.</span><span class="trans">He is not hot.</span>
* 这 个 <em>不</em> <strong>贵</strong>。<span class="trans">This is not expensive.</span>
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* 这 个 <em>不</em> <strong>贵</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè gè <em>bù </em> <strong>guì </strong>.</span><span class="trans">This is not expensive.</span>
* 我们 学校 <em>不</em> <strong>大</strong>。<span class="trans">Our school is not big.</span>
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* 我们 学校 <em>不</em> <strong>大</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xuéxiào <em>bù </em> <strong>dà </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Our school is not big.</span>
* 这里 的 咖啡 <em>不</em> <strong>好喝</strong>。<span class="trans">The coffee here is not good.</span>
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* 这里 的 咖啡 <em>不</em> <strong>好喝</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de kāfēi <em>bù </em> <strong>hǎo hē </strong>.</span><span class="trans">The coffee here is not good.</span>
* 我 觉得 那 个 女 孩子 <em>不</em> <strong>漂亮</strong>。<span class="trans">I think that girl is not pretty.</span>
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* 我 觉得 那 个 女 孩子 <em>不</em> <strong>漂亮</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ juédé nàgè nǚ háizi <em>bù </em> <strong>piàoliang </strong>.</span><span class="trans">I think that girl is not pretty.</span>
* 我 哥哥 <em>不</em> <strong>高</strong>,但是 很 帅。<span class="trans">My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.</span>
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* 我 哥哥 <em>不</em> <strong>高</strong>,但是 很 帅。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ gēgē <em>bù </em> <strong>gāo </strong>, dànshì hěn shuài.</span><span class="trans">My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.</span>
* 我 很 <em>不</em> <strong>高兴</strong>。<span class="trans">I am not happy.</span>
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* 我 很 <em>不</em> <strong>高兴</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hěn <em>bù </em> <strong>gāoxìng </strong>.</span><span class="trans">I am not happy.</span>
* 这 个 人 <em>不</em> <strong>好</strong>。<span class="trans">This person is not good.</span>
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* 这 个 人 <em>不</em> <strong>好</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè gè rén <em>bù </em> <strong>hǎo </strong>.</span><span class="trans">This person is not good.</span>
* 吃 这 种 东西 <em>不</em> <strong>健康</strong>。<span class="trans">Eating this stuff is not healthy.</span>
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* 吃 这 种 东西 <em>不</em> <strong>健康</strong>。<span class="pinyin">Chī zhè zhǒng dōngxī <em>bù </em> <strong>jiànkāng </strong>.</span><span class="trans">Eating this stuff is not healthy.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 09:45, 12 October 2014

Use 不 (bù) to negate verbs in the present or future.

Negating Verbs

Structure

The standard way to negate verbs in Chinese is with 不 (bù). To negate a verb, simply place 不 (bù) before it:

Subject + 不 + Verb + Object

Examples

  • 德国人。 shì Déguó rén.I am not German.
  • 喜欢 你。 xǐhuān nǐ.He does not like you.
  • 酒。 jiǔ.She doesn't drink beer.
  • 好 学生。 shì hào xuéshēng.I am not a good student.
  • 想 工作 xiǎng gōngzuò .I don't want to work.
  • 很多 年轻 人 运动Hěnduō niánqīng rén yùndòng .Many young people don't exercise.
  • 今天 我 去 上课Jīntiān wǒ qù shàngkè .Today I am not going to class.
  • 喜欢 这 个 派对。 xǐhuān zhè gè pàiduì.I don't like this party.
  • 这么 贵,我 Zhème guì, wǒ mǎi .How expensive! I'm not buying it.
  • 为什么 你 喜欢 喝 咖啡?Wèishéme nǐ xǐhuān hē kāfēi?Why don't you like to drink coffee?

Almost all verbs can be negated with 不 (bù) (unless you're talking about the past). The only verb that can never be negated with 不 (bù) is 有 (yǒu).

  • 不有 时间。bù yǒu shíjiān.
  • 没有 时间。méiyǒu shíjiān.I don't have time.

Negating Adjectives

Surprise! The structure is basically the same.

Structure

Subject + 不 + Adjective

Examples

  • 饿 è .I'm not hungry.
  • .He is not hot.
  • 这 个 Zhè gè guì .This is not expensive.
  • 我们 学校 Wǒmen xuéxiào .Our school is not big.
  • 这里 的 咖啡 好喝Zhèlǐ de kāfēi hǎo hē .The coffee here is not good.
  • 我 觉得 那 个 女 孩子 漂亮Wǒ juédé nàgè nǚ háizi piàoliang .I think that girl is not pretty.
  • 我 哥哥 ,但是 很 帅。Wǒ gēgē gāo , dànshì hěn shuài.My older brother is not tall, but he is very handsome.
  • 我 很 高兴Wǒ hěn gāoxìng .I am not happy.
  • 这 个 人 Zhè gè rén hǎo .This person is not good.
  • 吃 这 种 东西 健康Chī zhè zhǒng dōngxī jiànkāng .Eating this stuff is not healthy.

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Videos