In this video lesson we'll learn how to use the Negative Adverb 没 in Chinese. And we'll also compare 没 with another Negative Adverb in Chinese: 不.
méi 没 is a Negative Adverb in Chinese. It is used for "negation of completing an action", meaning the action is not completed or has not be completed. We put 没 before a Verb:
When using as a Negative Adverb suggesting "not completing the action of something", 没 and 没有 are interchangeable, and can be used like this:
没有 can be used to suggest "not have something" or "not own something", which is a Verb Phrase (没 is the Adverb and 有 is the Verb). 没 can only be used as an Adverb.
Both 没 and 不 can be used to express a negative meaning.
Many people say that 没 is for the past tense and 不 is for the present tense, but that’s not always the case. 没 can also be used in the future tense, while 不 can also be used in the past tense.
We’ll compare them again in details when we learn about past and present in the future.
In today's lesson, for negation of Dynamic Verbs (Action Verbs), here's the differences:
没 + Dynamic Verbs |
不 + Dynamic Verbs |
the negation is objective | the negation is subjective |
the negation is an actual fact |
the negation suggests people’s will or judgement |
/ | the negation is habitual |
For example:
When the action is habitual or is a usually thing to happen, we use 不 instead of 没. For example:
说话 | 说 | |
to talk |
to talk |
to talk + something |
to speak |
to speak |
to speak + something |
/ | to say + a quote |
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