Table of Contents

Grammar Point

一點也不一点也不 yìdiǎn yě bù: Not At All

Use 一點也不 yìdiǎn yě bù一点也不 yìdiǎn yě bù to say “not at all”: there isn’t even a little bit of something. It’s a strong, very natural way to deny something in everyday conversation.

一一點也不一点也不 + Adjective

一点 + 也 / 都 + 不 + Adjective

一點 yìdiǎn一点 yìdiǎn plus 也 yě or 都 dōu makes the negation much stronger: “not even a little.” Without 一點 yìdiǎn一点 yìdiǎn, the sentence still works, but it isn’t as emphatic. 也 yě and 都 dōu mean the same thing here.

我wǒ一点yìdiǎn也yě不bú累lèi

I’m not tired at all.

她tā一点yìdiǎn都dōu不bù开心kāixīn

She’s not happy at all.

这zhè本běn书shū一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù好看hǎokàn

This book isn’t good at all.

学xué中文Zhōngwén一点yìdiǎn都dōu不bù难nán

Learning Chinese isn’t hard at all!

不 bù or bú?Watch the tone of 不: it’s bú before a 4th tone (一点yìdiǎn也yě不bú累lèi) and bù before everything else (一点yìdiǎn都dōu不bù难nán).

二一點一点 + (Object) + 也/都 + Neg + Verb

一点 + (Object) + 也 / 都 + 不 / 沒 + Verb

With a verb, the object usually goes between 一點 yìdiǎn一点 yìdiǎn and 也 yě/都 dōu: “not even a little English,” “not even a little tea.”

老师lǎoshī一点yìdiǎn英文Yīngwén也yě不会búhuì说shuō

The teacher doesn’t speak any English at all.

弟弟dìdi一点yìdiǎn事shì都dōu没méi做zuò

My little brother didn’t do a single thing.

我wǒ一点yìdiǎn都dōu不bù想xiǎng去qù

I don’t want to go at all.

你nǐ一点yìdiǎn责任感zérèngǎn都dōu没有méiyǒu

You have no sense of responsibility at all.

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

他tā一点yìdiǎn甜tián的de东西dōngxi也yě不bù吃chī

He doesn’t eat sweets at all.

Just like regular negation, use 沒 méi没 méi for things that didn’t happen and 不 bù for what someone doesn’t do or won’t do:

沒没 · didn’t happen

他tā一点yìdiǎn茶chá也yě没méi喝hē

He didn’t drink any tea. (It just didn’t happen.)

不 · doesn’t / won’t

他tā一点yìdiǎn茶chá也yě不bù喝hē

He doesn’t drink tea at all. (He refuses to, or it’s a habit.)

三一點也不一点也不 vs. 不 vs. 不太

Here’s how 一點也不 yìdiǎn yě bù一点也不 yìdiǎn yě bù compares with 不太 bú tài and plain 不 bù. The longer the bar, the stronger the “no”:

他tā不太bú tài累lèi

He’s not very tired.

他tā不bú累lèi

He’s not tired.

他tā一点yìdiǎn也yě不bú累lèi

He’s not tired at all.

四 Common Mistakes

❌ 我wǒ不bù一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn也yě累lèi

✅ 我wǒ一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn也yě不bú累lèi

一點 yìdiǎn一点 yìdiǎn comes first, then 也 yě, then 不.

❌ 我wǒ一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù很hěn累lèi

✅ 我wǒ一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn也yě不bú累lèi

Don’t add 很 hěn. 一點也不 yìdiǎn yě bù一点也不 yìdiǎn yě bù is already as strong as it gets.

❌ 我wǒ一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn錢qián钱qián都dōu不bù有yǒu

✅ 我wǒ一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn錢qián钱qián都dōu沒有méiyǒu没有méiyǒu

有 yǒu is always negated with 沒 méi没 méi.

❌ 昨天zuótiān他tā一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn東西dōngxī东西dōngxi都dōu不bù吃chī

✅ 昨天zuótiān他tā一點yìdiǎn一点yìdiǎn東西dōngxī东西dōngxi都dōu沒méi没méi吃chī

It’s about something that didn’t happen yesterday, so use 沒 méi没 méi.

五 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’m not hungry at all.”