Grammar Point:
In Chinese, the word 并 bìng is used to emphasize a negation. It’s often used in conjunction with negative words like 不 bù or 沒 méi to strengthen the negative meaning.
Structure
People use 并 bìng to indicate that what they are saying is contrary to what the addressee assumes or expects. It adds a sense of certainty to the negation, making it clear that the statement is absolutely not true or the action did not happen.
S + 並/并 bìng + 不 or 没
他並不是這樣想的他并不是这样想的
He definitely doesn’t think that way.
我並不喜歡吃辣的食物我并不喜欢吃辣的食物
I actually don‘t like spicy food at all.
這並不是我想要的禮物这并不是我想要的礼物
This is definitely not the gift I wanted.
爸爸並沒有給我錢爸爸并没有给我钱
Dad definitely did not give me money.
中國賣的台灣烤腸在台灣並不存在中国卖的台湾烤肠在台湾并不存在
The Taiwanese sausages sold in China, they actually don’t exist in Taiwan.
我哥哥並沒有去過上海我哥哥并没有去过上海
My older brother actually hasn’t been to Shanghai.
我並不覺得他在開玩笑我并不觉得他在开玩笑
Actually, I don’t think he’s joking.
Let’s Compare the Following Sentences
我不喜歡吃辣的食物我不喜欢吃辣的食物
I don‘t like spicy food.
(It’s a straightforward expression of not liking spicy food without any particular emphasis.)
我並不喜歡吃辣的食物我并不喜欢吃辣的食物
I actually don‘t like spicy food at all.
(You want to assert a fact that is contrary to a possible misconception.)
並 bìng VS 根本 gēnběn
Both 並 bìng and 根本 gēnběn can be used to emphasize negation, 根本 gēnběn carries a stronger and more absolute sense of contradiction or disbelief compared to 並 bìng, which implies a milder contrast. The choice between them depends on the level of emphasis you want to convey in a given context.
他不是壞人他不是坏人
- This sentence simply states, “He is not a bad person.”
- It provides a straightforward negation of the idea that he is a bad person without any additional emphasis or contrast.
他並不是壞人他并不是坏人
- This sentence adds the adverb 並 bìng to slightly emphasize the negation.
- It can be translated as “He is not, in fact, a bad person” or “Contrary to what you might think, he is not a bad person.”
- The use of 並 bìng adds a bit of contrast or unexpectedness to the statement, but it’s still relatively mild.
他根本不是壞人他根本不是坏人
- This sentence uses 根本 gēnběn, which adds a stronger level of emphasis and negation.
- It can be translated as “He is absolutely not a bad person” or “He is not a bad person at all.”
- 根本 gēnběn emphasizes that there is no doubt or ambiguity in the negation and can convey a sense of disbelief in any suggestion to the contrary.
Practice
TouchHover over the space to see the answers.
✔️ I definitely did not receive your email.
我並沒有收到你的電郵我并没有收到你的电邮
✔️ He actually is not only a teacher, but also an artist.
他並不只是一位老師,他還是一位畫家他并不只是一位老师,他还是一位画家
✔️ Actually, the dish you made is not tasty.
其實你做的菜並不好吃其实你做的菜并不好吃
- 并且 bìngqiě – Moreover (HSK 3)
- 并 bìng – and (HSK 4)