Introduction
没(有) (méi yǒu) in front of a verb says that an action did not happen or has not happened yet. This is the counterpart of 了 (le): where 了 marks something as done, 没 marks it as not done — and the two never appear in the same clause.
Overview
Structure: Subject + 没(有) (méi yǒu) + Verb + Object
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| S + 没 + V + O | 我没吃饭。(Wǒ méi chī fàn.) | I haven't eaten. |
| S + 没有 + V + O | 我没有看那本书。(Wǒ méiyǒu kàn nà běn shū.) | I didn't read that book. |
| S + 还没 + V | 我还没去。(Wǒ hái méi qù.) | I haven't been yet. |
| S + V + 了 + O + 吗？→ 没有 | 你吃了吗？— 没有。(Nǐ chī le ma? — Méiyǒu.) | Have you eaten? — Not yet. |
| S + 没 + V + 过 | 我没去过中国。(Wǒ méi qùguò Zhōngguó.) | I've never been to China. |
没 (méi) removes 了 (le) — the classic HSK 1 mistake:
- Positive: 我吃了饭。(Wǒ chī le fàn.) — I ate.
- Negative: 我没吃饭。(Wǒ méi chī fàn.) ✓ — 了 disappears entirely.
- ❌ 我没吃了饭。(Wǒ méi chī le fàn.) — never correct.
- And compare with 不 (bù): 我不吃饭。(Wǒ bù chī fàn.) — I don't eat / I won't eat. A choice, not a past event.
Examples
我没吃早饭。
Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn.
I didn't have breakfast.
昨天他没来上班。
Zuótiān tā méi lái shàngbān.
He didn't come to work yesterday.
我还没看今天的新闻。
Wǒ hái méi kàn jīntiān de xīnwén.
I haven't read today's news yet.
你去了吗？— 没有。
Nǐ qù le ma? — Méiyǒu.
Did you go? — No.
我没有去过北京。
Wǒ méiyǒu qùguò Běijīng.
I've never been to Beijing.
老师没说什么。
Lǎoshī méi shuō shénme.
The teacher didn't say anything.
Usage Notes
- 没 (méi) and 没有 (méiyǒu) are interchangeable before a verb. 没 is shorter and more common in speech; 没有 is slightly fuller.
- 还没 (hái méi) adds "not yet" — it implies the thing is still expected: 我还没吃饭。(Wǒ hái méi chī fàn.) — I haven't eaten yet (but I will).
- With 过 (guò) — "have ever" — the negative is always 没: 我没看过。(Wǒ méi kànguò.) — I've never seen it.
- As a standalone answer, use 没有 (méiyǒu), not bare 没: 你吃了吗？— 没有。(Nǐ chī le ma? — Méiyǒu.)
- Do not use 没 for the future or for habits. "I'm not going tomorrow" is 我明天不去。(Wǒ míngtiān bú qù.)