Negation in Chinese: 不 Bù for Negative Chinese Sentences [Guide]

Learning how to say yes and no is a basic vocabulary lesson for any language. How do you create negative response? Adding “no” in front of Chinese verbs and objects doesn’t make a sentence negative… Does it?

To get your answers, continue to read about this Chinese grammar point: Chinese negation with 不 bù.

What does 不 (bù) mean in Chinese?

不 (bù) in Chinese means “no” and “not,” and it is a negation word. It’s one of the most basic grammar points you’ll encounter when you start learning Chinese. 

不 (bù) is commonly used to negate a verb in the present or future or to talk about something you don’t do regularly as a habit. 

How to use 不 bù:

1. To negate verbs

Almost all verbs can be negated with 不 bù. However, this construction is only used for present or present actions. To negate a verb, simply place 不 bù before it:

Subject + 不 + Verb + Object

Here are some examples:

As you can see, 不 (bù) can be used to negate any verbs, and it acts as ‘not’ to form negative sentences in Chinese.

Negative in Chinese exception: 没 (méi)

The only exception is that 不 bù will never be used with the verb to have (有 yǒu). If you want to negate the verb 有 yǒu, you’ll have to use the negation word 没 méi instead. So, 没有 (méi yǒu) means ‘there isn't’ or ‘don't have.’ There are more rules with 不 bù vs. 没 méi, so here is a video:

For example, it’s correct to say “我没有时间” Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān (I don’t have time) but not “我 不有时间” Wǒ bù yǒu shíjiān.

2. To negate adjectives

不 bù is also used to negate adjectives the same way as verbs. Here’s the structure:

Subject + 不 + Adjective

Check out some examples:

3. To negate habitual actions

Habitual actions are things someone does regularly or repeatedly. But there are also actions that we don’t do daily. Here is that grammar structure:

Subject + 不 + Verb

Here are some examples sentences:

Frequently asked questions

How do you say a negative answer in Chinese? 

Normally, negative answers in Chinese use the word "不" (bù) before the verb or adjective. But if you want to say “no [object]” or without, you use the 没 (méi) in front of your object.

What are negation markers in Chinese?

Most commonly, the negation marker in Chinese grammar is "不" (bù) in front of verbs or adjectives to form negative sentences. Another negation marker in Chinese is "没" (méi)

How do the Chinese use a term of negation to negate sentences?

Chinese use 不 bù to form negative sentences.  It is commonly used to negate a verb in the present or future or to talk about something you don't do regularly as a habit. There is also 没 (méi) that is commonly used together with 有(yǒu) to mean “to not have.”

To conclude

Chinese grammar isn’t that hard to learn.

Knowing the basic sentence structure will get you through a lot of casual conversations in Chinese.

The hardest part of Chinese is learning the amount of hanzi and vocabulary to form these sentences. As such, try using Pandanese to grow your Chinese vocabulary easily with mnemonics and the Spaced Repetition System (SRS). Together, you will review more difficult Chinese words rather than ones you’ve already known. Check it out!