Put a question word like 什麼 shénme什么 shénme, 誰 shéi谁 shéi, 哪裡 nǎlǐ哪里 nǎli or 多少 duōshǎo after a negative verb and you get a vague, “nothing special” answer: “I’m not watching anything,” “I didn’t go out with anyone.” It’s a handy way to avoid giving details.
一 The Basic Pattern
Subject + 不 / 沒没 + Verb + Question Word
The question word here doesn’t ask anything. It just keeps things vague: “not… anything (special),” “not… anyone (in particular).”
我沒没在看什麼什么
I’m not watching anything.
Maybe true, maybe not! 👀
我昨天沒没跟誰谁出去
I didn’t go out with anyone yesterday.
她沒没給给我多少錢钱
She didn’t give me much money.
我也不打算跟她去哪裡哪里
I’m not planning to go anywhere with her either.
我跟他沒有没有什麼什么關係关系
There’s nothing going on between him and me.
Careful!This pattern can sound like you don’t want to share, or that you don’t think the other person needs to know. Depending on the situation, it can make a conversation a bit awkward! 😬
二 Vague vs. Clear
Compare these pairs. With the question word, the answer is vague. Without it, it’s a clear, complete “no.”
With a question word · vague
她沒没給给我多少錢钱
She gave me some money, but not enough to be worth mentioning.
Without · a clear “no”
她沒没給给我錢钱
She gave me nothing at all.
With a question word · vague
我跟他沒有没有什麼什么關係关系
We’re just colleagues. Nothing special, nothing you need to know.
Without · a clear “no”
我跟他沒有没有關係关系
I have nothing to do with him. I don’t really know him.
三 Common Mistakes
❌ 我沒没在看什麼什么嗎吗？
✅ 我沒没在看什麼什么。
Here the question word isn’t asking anything, so it’s a statement. Don’t add 嗎 ma吗 ma.
❌ 我昨天不跟誰谁出去
✅ 我昨天沒没跟誰谁出去
It’s about yesterday, so use 沒 méi没 méi, not 不 bù.
❌ 什麼什么我沒没買买
✅ 我沒没買买什麼什么
In this pattern the question word stays after the verb, where the object normally goes. (我什麼都沒買我什么都没买 means “I didn’t buy anything at all,” a much stronger “no.”)
四 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 didn’t buy anything (special).”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我沒没買买什麼什么
The 嗎 ma吗 ma tile is a trap. This is a statement, not a question.
“I’m not thinking about anything.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我沒没在想什麼什么
A vague answer: “nothing in particular.”
“He didn’t say much.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
他沒没說说多少
沒⋯多少 méi … duōshǎo没⋯多少 méi … duōshǎo here means “not much.”
“I didn’t go anywhere on the weekend.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我週末周末沒没去哪裡哪里
“Nowhere special”: 沒去哪裡没去哪里.
“I didn’t get any presents to speak of for my birthday.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我生日沒没收到什麼什么禮物礼物
沒⋯什麼没⋯什么 + noun: maybe a little something, but nothing worth mentioning. 🎁
“There isn’t anything good to eat here.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
這裡这里沒有没有什麼什么好吃的
沒有什麼没有什么 + description = “nothing much that’s…”
“I don’t really want to eat anything.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我不想吃什麼什么
About what you want, so 不 bù.
“He didn’t drink much.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
他沒没喝多少酒
沒⋯多少 méi … duōshǎo没⋯多少 méi … duōshǎo + noun = “not much.”
“She didn’t tell anyone.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
她沒没告訴告诉誰谁
Vague: she didn’t tell anyone in particular.
“I didn’t do much today.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我今天沒没做什麼什么
The 都 dōu tile is a trap. 什麼都沒做什么都没做 would mean “did nothing at all.”
