Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 129 – The difference between bù (不) and méi (没) / méi yǒu (没有)

Chinese Language Learning Program

Lesson 129 – The difference between bù (不)  and méi (没) / 

méi yǒu (没有)

Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about location words in Chinese. Today, we will talk about the difference between bù (不)  and méi (没) / méi yǒu (没有).

We talked  about negative words in Chinese in our lesson 123.  Today I want to talk about the difference between bù (不)  and méi (没) / méi yǒu (没有).

bù

不

bù 不is the marker of negative sentence, and it can be used as following:

1.   Basic sentences

Subject + 不 + Verb  OR

Subject + 不 + Verb + Object

Subject  + 不 + Adj to express the negative meanings.

Let’s see some negative sentences with bù (不).

tā bù xiǎng wán’er.

他 不    想      玩  儿。(Subject + 不 + Verb)

(He does not want to play.)

wǒ bù xǐ huɑn tā

 我  不 喜   欢    他.   (Subject + 不 + Verb + Object)

(I don't like him.)

jīn tiān bù rè.

今   天   不 热。(Subject  + 不 + Adj)

(Today is not hot.)

tā bù gāo xìng.

他 不   高    兴。(Subject  + 不 + Adj)

(He is not happy.)

2.   bù 不is used to describe the present, the future, or the habitual events

wǒ bù hē jiǔ.

 我  不  喝 酒。(I do not drink.)

wǒ bù huì hē jiǔ.

我   不   会  喝 酒。(I do not drink.)

méi没 / méi yǒu没有

In lesson 123 we talked that 没 and 没有 can be used to express negative actions that happened in the past.

tā méi yǒu / méi ná wǒ de shū.

他  没   有   /   没  拿  我  的   书。(He did not take my book.)

nǐ zuó tiān méi yǒu / méi lái wǒ jiā.

你   昨  天    没    有  /   没  来  我  家。

(You did not come to my house yesterday.)

But, sometimes it is used to exmpress negative actions that happened in the present.

wǒ méi yǒu / méi qián.

我    没   有  /   没     钱 。

(I don't have any money.)

zhè ér méi yǒu / méi rén.

 这  儿   没   有  /   没   人 。

(There are no one is here.)

In addition, méi 没mei or méi yǒu没有can be used under the following conditions:

1) the action is not complete

wǒ hái méi / méi yǒu kàn wán nà běn shū.

我    还  没  /   没    有   看    完   那   本    书 。

(I still haven't finished reading that book.)

2) méi yǒu / méi was used at the end of the sentence or in the sentence  to form question sentences.

nǐ yǒu méi yǒu xiǎng wǒ?

你  有    没    有     想    我？(Have you ever miss me?)

nǐ kàn wán liǎo nà běn shū méi yǒu ？

你  看    完    了   那   本   书    没   有  ？

(Have you finished reading that book?)

nǐ kàn méi kàn wán nà běn shū ？

你  看    没   看    完   那   本    书  ？

(Have you finished reading that book?)

Ok, that is all for today.

xiè  xiè!

 谢   谢 ! (Thanks!)

xià  cì  jiàn

 下  次  见!  (See you next time!)