不
bù/pu⁵¹/
In Chinese, "not" is translated as 不 (bù).
不 is a word used to make a sentence or a phrase negative. It is commonly used to negate most verbs and adjectives. In specific informal contexts, other phrases may be used: 不要 (bù yào) is used when refusing or rejecting something, while 不行 (bù xíng) is used to express that something is not possible, not allowed, no good or not okay.
Which one should you use?
While 不 is used to negate most verbs and adjectives, the word 没 is used specifically to negate the verb 有 (to have) or to indicate that an action has not occurred in the past.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 不 is placed directly before the verb or adjective it is negating.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is bù and the IPA is /pu⁵¹/.
Did you know?
- In Old Chinese, different types of negation were used to distinguish between things humans could control and things they could not. The 'p-series' of negatives, which includes 不, was used for actions that were beyond human control.
Examples in context
- 离这里不远。It's not far from here to there.This sentence is useful for describing distance using the form 不.Tatoeba #398388 by GlossaMatik, translation #398384 by weregoingunion
- 这不是真的。This is not true.This sentence is useful for negating a statement using the form 不.Tatoeba #409219 by GlossaMatik, translation #370573 by saeb
- 但咖啡不好。But the coffee's not good.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of something using the form 不.Tatoeba #528707 by GlossaMatik, translation #403138 by Ramses
- 我 不 喝 咖啡 。 (Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.)I do not drink coffee.
- 他 不是 医生 。 (Tā bù shì yī shēng.)He is not a doctor.
- 我 没有 钱 。 (Wǒ méi yǒu qián.)I don't have money.
- 今天 我 很 忙 ， 所以 不能 聚会 ， 行 吗 ？ (Jīn tiān wǒ hěn máng, suǒ yǐ bù néng jù huì, xíng ma?)I am busy today, so I cannot meet. Is that okay?
- 别 打扰 我 ！ (Bié dǎ rǎo wǒ!)Don't disturb me!
- 2123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi are deciding what to eat.
- 伟 Wei你想吃面吗？Nǐ xiǎng chī miàn ma?Do you want to eat noodles?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我不饿。Wǒ bù è.I am not hungry.
- 伟 Wei那你想喝什么？Nà nǐ xiǎng hē shénme?Then what do you want to drink?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我不想喝水。Wǒ bù xiǎng hē shuǐ.I do not want to drink water.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 不, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 不, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
