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:

我不去美国。

Wǒ bù qù měiguó.

I'm not going to America (present tense).

下个月我不去中国。

Xià gè yuè wǒ bù qù zhōngguó.

I will not be going to China next month (future tense).

我不出去吃饭。

Wǒ bù chūqù chīfàn.

I am not going out for dinner (present tense).

我今晚不出去吃饭。

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.

我不喝咖啡。

Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.

I don't drink coffee.

她不打网球。

Tā bù dǎ wǎngqiú.

She doesn't play tennis.

他不吃午饭。

Tā bù chī wǔfàn.

He doesn't eat lunch.

我不喜欢喝咖啡。

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:

她不开心。

Tā bù kāixīn.

She isn't happy.

我的学校不大。

Wǒ de xuéxiào bù dà.

My school isn't big.

那个蛋糕不甜。

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:

• 是 (shì) - is/be/am
• 在 (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:

我不是她的老师。

Wǒ bùshì tā de lǎoshī.

I am not her teacher.

我不在家。

Wǒ bù zàijiā.

I am not at home.

我不认识他。

Wǒ bù rènshí tā.

I don't recognize him.

他不知道她的名字。

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:

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:

你要不要去吃鸡饭？

Nǐ yào bùyào qù chī jī fàn?

Would you like to have chicken rice or not?

他们来不来？

Tāmen lái bu lái?

Are they going to come or not?

他吃不吃牛肉？

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:

这件衣服美不美？

Zhè jiàn yīfú měi bù měi?

Is this shirt beautiful or not?

他的房子大不大？

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:

你不比我高。

Nǐ bùbǐ wǒ gāo.

You're not taller than I am.

他不比她聪明。

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:

我的成绩不如他。

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:

我 不如 他 高。

Wǒ bùrú tā gāo.

I am not as tall as he is.

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:

她昨晚没有吃晚饭。

Tā zuó wǎn méiyǒu chī wǎnfàn.

She didn't have dinner last night.

她上个月没去美国。

Tā shàng gè yuè méi qù měiguó.

She didn't go to America last month.

我昨晚没睡好。

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:

我没去过美国。

Wǒ méi qùguò měiguó.

I have not been to Canada before.

我还没做完我的功课。

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.

她没胖。

Tā méi pàng.

She did not become fatter/She didn't put on much weight.

她不胖。

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:

我没有车。

Wǒ méiyǒu chē.

I don't have a car.

我没有兄弟姐妹。

Wǒ méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi.

I don't have any siblings.

她没有手机。

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:

我没有去过美国。

Wǒ méiyǒu qùguò měiguó.

I have not been to America before.

我没有在这餐厅吃过。

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:

我的房子没有他的大。

Wǒ de fángzi méiyǒu tā de dà.

My house isn't as big as his.

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.

她没有我高。

Tā méiyǒu wǒ gāo.

She isn't as tall as I am.

她不比我高。

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:

他上个月有没有去美国？

Tā shàng gè yuè yǒu méiyǒu qù měiguó?

Did he go to America last month or not?

你昨天有没有去上学？

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

Grab the link to this article

Copy Link

Grammar