不 (Bù) vs 没 (Méi) In Chinese (How Are They Different?)

  • Jasmine Chiam
    Written byJasmine Chiam
  • Read time12 mins
  • Comments0
不 (Bù) vs 没 (Méi) In Chinese (How Are They Different?)

不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are often mixed up, as they’re both used as negation words in Chinese.

You can say “no” in Mandarin Chinese in many different ways.

If that’s something you’re currently learning, you may have already encountered the words 不 (bù) and 没 (méi).

These two simple words are negation words in the Chinese language, and they’re very commonly used in day-to-day conversations. Thus, it’s important for new learners to be able to differentiate when to use one or the other.

Both words carry the meaning of “not” or “no.”

However, it’s important to note that it’s very rare for either to be used as a standalone word to mean “no”. They’re often combined with other characters to convey the meaning of “no” or “not.”

不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are used in very different circumstances, and unfortunately, these two words aren’t interchangeable. Replacing one for the other will sound strange to native ears, and at other times, doing this can completely change the sentence’s meaning!

To help you out, I’ll explain when to use 不 (bù) and when to use 没 (méi) in a sentence. We’ll also look at different examples that showcase the various situations where each word would be appropriate.

Let’s jump right in.

Comparing the differences between 不 (bù) and 没 (méi)

Here’s a quick summary of the main differences between 不 and 没.

  • 不 (bù) can be used to negate actions in the present or future tense and to negate habitual actions. It can also be used to express subjective things such as feelings and descriptive adjectives.
  • 没 (méi) is used to negate actions in the past or talk about an occurrence or event that has not happened yet.

Only 不 (bù) can be used to negate the verb 是 (shì) to convey the meaning “is not”.

Likewise, only 没 (méi) can be used to negate 有 (yǒu) to convey the meaning “don’t have”.

These differences can be a little confusing at the start, but we will explore each of these uses of 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) further below and include examples of how each term can be used correctly.

How can I use 不 (bù) in Mandarin Chinese?

In this section, we’ll explore the different circumstances in which you can use 不 to express the meaning of “no” or “not”.

不 (bù) is used for negating actions in the present and future, as well as habitual actions

不 typically conveys the meaning of “will not” or “not going to” when paired with various verbs.

Take a look at the following examples showing how 不 is used to negate present and future actions:

Listen to audio

去美国。

Wǒ bù qù měiguó.
I'm not going to America (present tense).
Listen to audio

下个月我去中国。

Xià gè yuè wǒ bù qù zhōngguó.
I will not be going to China next month (future tense).
Listen to audio

出去吃饭。

Wǒ bù chūqù chīfàn.
I am not going out for dinner (present tense).
Listen to audio

我今晚出去吃饭。

Wǒ jīn wǎn bù chūqù chīfàn.
I will not be going out for dinner tonight (future tense).

Apart from using 不 for present and future tenses, it can also be used to negate habitual actions. In this case, 不 can be used to inform someone about something you usually will not do.

This is shown in the following examples.

Listen to audio

喝咖啡。

Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.
I don't drink coffee.
Listen to audio

打网球。

Tā bù dǎ wǎngqiú.
She doesn't play tennis.
Listen to audio

吃午饭。

Tā bù chī wǔfàn.
He doesn't eat lunch.
Listen to audio

喜欢喝咖啡。

Wǒ bù xǐhuān hē kāfēi.
I don't like drinking coffee.

In the above examples, using 没 (méi) in place of 不 (bù) is grammatically correct, but it will not convey the same meaning.

If you use 没 (méi), you will be saying that you did not do that specific action in the past instead of negating a habitual action.

We’ll explore this in the section further below.

不 (bù) can be used with adjectives

不 can be used to negate specific adjectives in a sentence. The following are some examples showing how 不 can be used in this case:

Listen to audio

开心。

Tā bù kāixīn.
She isn't happy.
Listen to audio

我的学校大。

Wǒ de xuéxiào bù dà.
My school isn't big.
Listen to audio

那个蛋糕甜。

Nàgè dàngāo bù tián.
That cake isn't sweet.

不 (bù) is almost always used with specific verbs

While 没 is mainly used with verbs (we’ll explore this further below), there are specific verbs that are almost always negated with 不 and very rarely with 没.

These four verbs are:

  • (shì) - is/be/am
  • (zài) - exist / (is) at
  • 认识 (rènshí) - know/recognize
  • 知道 (zhīdào) - know/conscious of/aware of

You would most commonly hear 不 being used to negate these verbs. Some examples are shown below:

Listen to audio

是她的老师。

Wǒ bùshì tā de lǎoshī.
I am not her teacher.
Listen to audio

在家。

Wǒ bù zàijiā.
I am not at home.
Listen to audio

认识他。

Wǒ bù rènshí tā.
I don't recognize him.
Listen to audio

知道她的名字。

Tā bù zhīdào tā de míngzì.
He doesn't know her name.

认识 is most often used with 不, but in rarer circumstances, you may hear it used with 没. Take, for instance, the following sentence:

Listen to audio

我没认识到人。

Wǒ méi rènshí dào rén.
I didn't meet/get acquainted with anyone new.

不 (bù) can be used to ask questions

不 can be used to ask questions in various ways.

The first formula you can use is ”Verb + 不 + Verb.” Questions in this format should ask about a present, future, or habitual action. Here are some examples using this structure:

Listen to audio

你要要去吃鸡饭?

Nǐ yào bùyào qù chī jī fàn?
Would you like to have chicken rice or not?
Listen to audio

他们来来?

Tāmen lái bu lái?
Are they going to come or not?
Listen to audio

他吃吃牛肉?

Tā chī bù chī niúròu?
Does he eat beef or not?

Another way 不 is commonly used to ask questions is “Adjective + 不 + Adjective.” Here are some examples of how you can do so:

Listen to audio

这件衣服美美?

Zhè jiàn yīfú měi bù měi?
Is this shirt beautiful or not?
Listen to audio

他的房子大大?

Tā de fángzi dà bù dà?
Is his house big or not?

As you can see, 不 is typically utilized to ask “yes” or “no” questions in Mandarin Chinese.

不 (bù) can be used to make comparisons

没 is more often used to make comparisons, but there are certain circumstances when 不 might be the better choice.

The first way you can use 不 to make a comparison is by utilizing the phrase 不比 (bù bǐ). This phrase means “not more … than.”

The simplest sentence structure you can use is ”Noun + 不比 + Noun + Adjective.” The following examples will help you understand this better:

Listen to audio

比我高。

Nǐ bùbǐ wǒ gāo.
You're not taller than I am.
Listen to audio

比她聪明。

Tā bùbǐ tā cōngmíng.
He isn't smarter than she is.

Another way you can use 不 to make comparisons is by combining it with 如 (Rú) to form 不如 (bùrú). This phrase translates to “not as good as” or “not on par with.”

Here’s an example demonstrating how you can use it without an adjective:

Listen to audio

我的成绩如他。

Wǒ de chéngjī bùrú tā.
My grades aren't as good as his.

不如 (bùrú) can also be used with an adjective. In this case, it can be used in a similar structure as 不比. However, there is a slight difference in meaning, where 不如 conveys “not as … as” rather than “not more … than.”

Here are some examples:

Listen to audio

不如 他 高。

Wǒ bùrú tā gāo.
I am not as tall as he is.
Listen to audio

我的车不如他的大。

Wǒ de chē bùrú tā de dà.
My car isn't as big as his.

How Can I Use 没 (méi) in Mandarin Chinese?

Let’s explore how you can use 没 (méi) to express “no” or “not” in Mandarin Chinese.

没 (méi) is used to negate actions in the past

While 不 is used to negate actions in the present and future, as well as habitual actions, 没, on the other hand, is used to negate actions of the past.

Here are some examples demonstrating this:

Listen to audio

她昨晚有吃晚饭。

Tā zuó wǎn méiyǒu chī wǎnfàn.
She didn't have dinner last night.
Listen to audio

她上个月去美国。

Tā shàng gè yuè méi qù měiguó.
She didn't go to America last month.
Listen to audio

我昨晚睡好。

Wǒ zuó wǎn méi shuì hǎo.
I didn't sleep well last night.

没 (méi) can be used for something that has not happened yet

没 (méi) can be used to show that something has not occurred or has not been done yet. This is demonstrated by the following examples:

Listen to audio

去过美国。

Wǒ méi qùguò měiguó.
I have not been to Canada before.
Listen to audio

我还做完我的功课。

Wǒ hái méi zuò wán wǒ de gōngkè.
I have not finished my homework yet.

没 (méi) can sometimes be used with an adjective (though rare)

While 不 is most often used with adjectives, you may sometimes hear 没 being utilized with an adjective to mean “did not become” or “has not changed its state.”

Here’s an example comparing the use of 不 and 没 with an adjective.

Listen to audio

胖。

Tā méi pàng.
She did not become fatter/She didn't put on much weight.
Listen to audio

胖。

Tā bù pàng.
She isn't fat.

没 (méi) is always used with 有 (yǒu)

没有 (méi yǒu), when used together, means “to not have.” This phrase may sometimes mean “did not happen,” depending on the context.

Let’s explore the use of 没有 a little further.

The simplest meaning of 没有 is “don’t have” or “doesn’t have.” Here are some examples of this:

Listen to audio

没有车。

Wǒ méiyǒu chē.
I don't have a car.
Listen to audio

没有兄弟姐妹。

Wǒ méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi.
I don't have any siblings.
Listen to audio

没有手机。

Tā méiyǒu shǒujī.
She does not have a handphone.

没有 can also be used to convey the meaning “never happened before.”

Take, for instance, the following:

Listen to audio

没有去过美国。

Wǒ méiyǒu qùguò měiguó.
I have not been to America before.
Listen to audio

没有在这餐厅吃过。

Wǒ méiyǒu zài zhè cāntīng chīguò.
I have not eaten at this restaurant before.

Finally, 没有 can be used to make comparisons, which we’ll discuss below.

没 (méi) can be used to make comparisons

没有 can be used to convey the meaning “not as … as.” It’s similar in meaning to 不如 (bùrú), which is the phrase we covered earlier.

The sentence structure commonly utilized is “Noun + 没有 + Noun + Adjective.” Take a look at the examples below:

Listen to audio

我的房子没有他的大。

Wǒ de fángzi méiyǒu tā de dà.
My house isn't as big as his.
Listen to audio

这次考试没有上次难。

Zhè cì kǎoshì méiyǒu shàng cì nán.
This exam isn't as difficult as the previous one.

While 没有 and 不如 (bùrú) have similar meanings, the same cannot be said for 没有 and 不比 (bù bǐ).

没有 means “not as … as,” but 不比 means “not more… than.”

The following example will help you understand this better.

Listen to audio

没有我高。

Tā méiyǒu wǒ gāo.
She isn't as tall as I am.
Listen to audio

不比我高。

Tā bùbǐ wǒ gāo.
She isn't taller than I am (But she may very well be as tall as I am).

没 (méi) can be used to ask questions

Earlier, we learned that 不 is used to ask questions about a present, future, or habitual action.

In contrast, 没 is for asking questions about an action that has happened in the past.

Take, for instance, the following questions:

Listen to audio

他上个月有有去美国?

Tā shàng gè yuè yǒu méiyǒu qù měiguó?
Did he go to America last month or not?
Listen to audio

你昨天有有去上学?

Nǐ zuótiān yǒu méiyǒu qù shàngxué?
Did you go to school yesterday or not?

Differentiating 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) can be tricky

不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are both commonly used in day-to-day conversations to convey the meaning of “no” or “not”.

It’s important to understand the core differences between both words and to understand which is the most suitable option in various contexts and situations.

While learning this may be tricky at the start, a little practice will go a long way.

🎓 Cite article

Share link Grab the link to this article
Copy Link
The Mezzofanti Guild

WANT HELP

Learning
Mandarin?

Who is this?The Mezzofanti Guild
Cardinal MezzofantiCardinal Guiseppe Mezzofanti was a 19th century polyglot who is believed to have spoken at least 39 languages!Learn more
Support me by sharing:
  • Reddit share
  • Facebook share
  • X / Twitter share

Let me help you learn Mandarin
JOIN THE GUILD:

Donovan Nagel
Donovan Nagel - B. Th, MA AppLing
I'm an Applied Linguistics graduate, teacher and translator with a passion for language learning (especially Arabic).
Currently learning: Greek
Greek

COMMENTS

Comment Policy: I love comments and feedback (positive and negative) but I have my limits. You're in my home here so act accordingly.
NO ADVERTISING. Links will be automatically flagged for moderation.
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
© The Mezzofanti Guild, 2024. NAGEL PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved.
Join The Guild

Let Me Help You Learn Mandarin Chinese

  • Get my exclusive Mandarin content delivered straight to your inbox.
  • Learn about the best Mandarin language resources that I've personally test-driven.
  • Get insider tips for learning Mandarin.

ChineseMandarin Chinese

No spam. Ever.