Table of Contents

Grammar Point

有 yǒu: Someone, Something

In Chinese, the subject of a sentence is usually something both people already know about. So how do you talk about “someone” or “something” that hasn’t been mentioned yet? You start with 有 yǒu. After 有 yǒu comes the new person or thing, and then what it does or what it’s like.

一 The Basic Pattern

有 + (Number + Measure Word) + Noun + ⋯

有 yǒu introduces a new, not-yet-known person or thing. Think of it like “there is” or “someone / one” in English.

有yǒu一天yìtiān

One day…

A classic way to start a story.

有yǒu三sān只zhī狗gǒu

There are three dogs…

有yǒu一个yí ge人rén来lái找zhǎo你nǐ

Someone is here to see you.

You don’t know who it is yet, so the sentence starts with 有 yǒu.

有yǒu天tiān你nǐ会huì知道zhīdào我的wǒde好hǎo

One day you’ll realize how good I was to you.

In casual speech, 一 yī is often dropped: 有天 yǒu tiān.

二 Asking Questions

To ask if there’s anyone or anything, add 嗎 ma吗 ma at the end, or use 有沒有 yǒu méiyǒu有没有 yǒu méiyǒu at the start.

有 + Noun + ⋯ + 吗？ / 有没有 + Noun + ⋯？

有yǒu人rén住zhù在zài这里zhèli吗ma？

Does anyone live here?

有没有yǒu méiyǒu人rén要yào喝hē咖啡kāfēi？

Does anyone want coffee?

有没有yǒu méiyǒu地方dìfang我wǒ可以kěyǐ带dài狗gǒu去qù？

Is there anywhere I can take my dog?

三 Saying “No One” with 沒有没有

The negative of 有 yǒu is always 沒有 méiyǒu没有 méiyǒu, never 不有. 沒有人 méiyǒu rén没有人 méiyǒu rén means “no one,” and 沒有東西 méiyǒu dōngxi没有东西 méiyǒu dōngxi means “nothing.”

没有 + (Number + Measure Word) + Noun + ⋯

没有méiyǒu人rén要yào跟gēn你nǐ去qù日本Rìběn

No one wants to go to Japan with you.

没有méiyǒu一个yí ge地方dìfang可以kěyǐ带dài狗gǒu

There’s nowhere at all you can take a dog.

Adding 一个 yí ge makes it stronger: “not a single place.”

没有méiyǒu学生xuéshēng喜欢xǐhuan你nǐ

None of the students like you.

四 Compare These Two

These two look almost the same, but the focus is different, and that changes what you can say next.

有 first

有yǒu一yì本běn书shū在zài桌上zhuōshàng

“There is a book on the table.” The focus is on the book existing. It works fine on its own.

Place first

桌上zhuōshàng有yǒu一yì本běn书shū

“On the table, there’s a book.” The focus is on the place. This is the version to use if you want to keep talking about that book.

❌ 有yǒu一yì本běn書shū书shū在zài桌上zhuōshàng，你nǐ可以kěyǐ拿去náqù看kàn

✅ 桌上zhuōshàng有yǒu一yì本běn書shū书shū，你nǐ可以kěyǐ拿去náqù看kàn

The first half only says a book exists, so the second half (take it and read it) doesn’t connect well. Starting with the place ties the book on the table directly to the action.

五 Common Mistakes

❌ 一個yí ge一个yí ge人rén來lái来lái找zhǎo你nǐ

✅ 有yǒu一個yí ge一个yí ge人rén來lái来lái找zhǎo你nǐ

In English you can start with “a person…”, but in Chinese a new, unknown subject needs 有 yǒu in front.

❌ 不bù有yǒu人rén喜歡xǐhuān喜欢xǐhuan下雨天xiàyǔtiān

✅ 沒有méiyǒu没有méiyǒu人rén喜歡xǐhuān喜欢xǐhuan下雨天xiàyǔtiān

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

❌ 有沒有yǒu méiyǒu有没有yǒu méiyǒu人rén要yào喝hē茶chá嗎ma吗ma？

✅ 有沒有yǒu méiyǒu有没有yǒu méiyǒu人rén要yào喝hē茶chá？

有沒有 yǒu méiyǒu有没有 yǒu méiyǒu already makes it a question, so don’t add 嗎 ma吗 ma at the end.

六 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

“Someone is waiting for you outside.”