Table of Contents

Grammar Point

不 bù vs. 沒没 méi: Saying “Not”

Chinese has two main words for “not”: 不 bù and 沒 méi没 méi. Which one you use depends on what comes after it: a noun, an adjective, or a verb.

一 At a Glance

Here’s the quick version:

	+ Noun	+ Adjective	+ Verb
不 bù	❌	✅	✅ now / future / habits
沒没 méi	✅	❌	✅ past / hasn’t happened

二 With a Noun: 沒没

没 (有) + Noun

Before a noun, always use 沒 méi没 méi. It means “don’t have.” You can add 有 yǒu after 沒 méi没 méi and the meaning stays the same.

我wǒ没méi工作gōngzuò、没méi钱qián、没méi未来wèilái，只zhǐ想xiǎng当dāng米虫mǐchóng

No job, no money, no future. I just want to be a couch potato.

他tā没méi想法xiǎngfǎ

He has no ideas.

我wǒ没有méiyǒu时间shíjiān

I don’t have time.

你nǐ没有méiyǒu酒jiǔ吗ma？

You don’t have any alcohol?

Rice bug米虫 mǐchóng (“rice bug”) is slang for someone who doesn’t study, work or train for a job. They just eat and sleep all day and let other people take care of them, like a little bug living in the rice jar. 🐛

三 With an Adjective: 不

不 + Adjective

Before an adjective, always use 不 bù. (Wondering why 不 sometimes has a 2nd tone? Here’s why.)

我wǒ不bù矮ǎi、不bú胖pàng、不bù笨bèn，也yě不bù丑chǒu

I’m not short, not fat, not stupid, and not ugly either.

那个nàge不bú贵guì吗ma？

Isn’t that one expensive?

没 + adjective?Sometimes you’ll hear 没 méi + adjective. That’s because a verb has been dropped: 你没变胖 (“You didn’t get fat”) is often shortened to 你没胖.

四 With a Verb: Choice vs. Fact

With verbs, both work, but they mean different things. 不 bù is about what someone doesn’t want or intend to do, or doesn’t do in general. 沒 méi没 méi states a fact: something didn’t happen. You can add 有 yǒu after 沒 méi没 méi here too.

不 bù · choice

我wǒ今天jīntiān不bú吃chī晚饭wǎnfàn

I’m not going to have dinner tonight. (My decision.)

沒没 méi · fact

我wǒ今天jīntiān没méi吃chī晚饭wǎnfàn

I didn’t have dinner tonight. (That’s just what happened.)

你nǐ昨天zuótiān为什么wèishénme不bú跟gēn我wǒ说话shuōhuà

Why didn’t you talk to me yesterday?

I know you did it on purpose.

你nǐ昨天zuótiān为什么wèishénme没méi跟gēn我wǒ说话shuōhuà

Why didn’t you talk to me yesterday?

I’m just asking what happened.

我wǒ不bù喝hē酒jiǔ

I don’t drink.

A habit or a choice.

我wǒ没méi喝hē酒jiǔ = 我wǒ没有méiyǒu喝hē酒jiǔ

I didn’t drink.

A fact about what happened.

五 Not Yet: 還沒还没

还没 + Verb

沒 méi没 méi has a “best friend”: 還沒 hái méi还没 hái méi, which means “not yet.” Use it for something that hasn’t happened yet but might.

我wǒ还没hái méi喝hē酒jiǔ

I haven’t had a drink yet.

她tā还没hái méi死sǐ

She’s not dead yet.

She’s still alive!

我wǒ还hái没有méiyǒu写xiě作业zuòyè

I haven’t done my homework yet.

六 Common Mistakes

❌ 我wǒ不bù有yǒu時間shíjiān时间shíjiān

✅ 我wǒ沒有méiyǒu没有méiyǒu時間shíjiān时间shíjiān

有 yǒu is always negated with 沒 méi没 méi, never 不 bù.

❌ 他tā沒méi没méi高gāo

✅ 他tā不bù高gāo

Adjectives take 不 bù.

❌ 我wǒ昨天zuótiān不bù去qù上課shàngkè上课shàngkè

✅ 我wǒ昨天zuótiān沒méi没méi去qù上課shàngkè上课shàngkè

Yesterday is in the past, so it’s a fact that you didn’t go: 沒 méi没 méi.

❌ 我wǒ還hái还hái不bù吃chī飯fàn饭fàn

✅ 我wǒ還沒hái méi还没hái méi吃chī飯fàn饭fàn

“Not yet” is 還沒 hái méi还没 hái méi, not 還不.

七 Practice

Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!

Question 1 of 10

“I don’t have any money.”