Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | |
| 否 | fǒu | |
| 沒有 / 没有 | méiyǒu | |
| 沒 / 没 | méi | past |
When answering a 'yes/no' question, Chinese speakers often repeat the verb or adjective used in the question with 不 or 没 rather than using a single word for 'no'.
Which one should you use?
不 is used to negate present habits, future actions or psychological states, whereas 没 is used to negate past actions or the existence of something. 没 is used to negate the completion of an action in the past or the existence of an object. Additionally, 沒有 / 没有, 沒 / 没 and 無 / 无 can serve as a determiner meaning not any.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
否 is a formal or literary way to express negation, often seen in written documents or classical Chinese. For informal emphasis, you can use 不行啦 to say no. The phrase 不要 directly translates to 'don't want'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The tone of 不 changes from a fourth tone (bù) to a second tone (bú) when it is followed by another fourth tone character.
How do you pronounce it?
bù
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 不 to negate past actions, but 没 should be used for completed actions.
Did you know?
- Some historians believe 不 was originally a drawing of a bird flying toward the sky, where the sky acted as a limit to represent negation.
Examples in context
- 好久不见了。Long time, no see.This sentence uses 不.Tatoeba #710777 by Yashanti, translation #417003 by CK
- 时间不等人。Time waits for no one.Tatoeba #3367336 by go_oo, translation #1744302 by belgavox
- 不，我不懂。No, I don't understand.Tatoeba #4761451 by billt_estates, translation #1468397 by AMIKEMA
- 497 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are discussing whether to go out in the rain.
- 志强 Zhiqiang雨婷，我们要现在走吗？Yǔtíng, wǒmen yào xiànzài zǒu ma?Yuting, should we leave now?
- 雨婷 Yuting不，外面在下雨。Bù, wàimiàn zài xiàyǔ.No, it is raining outside.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们等一会儿吧。Nà wǒmen děng yīhuǐ'er ba.Then let's wait a while.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，这样比较好。Hǎo de, zhèyàng bǐjiào hǎo.Okay, that is better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 不, 否, 沒, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
