Introduction
不 (bù) is the default way to say "not" in Chinese. Place it directly before the verb and the sentence becomes negative. 不 covers habits, facts, present states, future intentions and refusals — everything except an action that failed to happen in the past, which takes 没有 (méiyǒu) instead.
Overview
Structure: Subject + 不 (bù) + Verb + Object
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| S + 不 + V + O | 我不喝咖啡。(Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.) | I don't drink coffee. |
| S + 不 + 是 + N | 他不是学生。(Tā bú shì xuéshēng.) | He is not a student. |
| S + 不 + 很/太 + Adj | 今天不太冷。(Jīntiān bú tài lěng.) | Today is not very cold. |
| S + 不 + 想/会/能 + V | 我不想去。(Wǒ bù xiǎng qù.) | I don't want to go. |
| 不 + V（short answer） | 不去。(Bú qù.) | No (= not going). |
不 (bù) vs 没(有) (méi yǒu) — the contrast that matters most at HSK 1:
- 不 = habit, fact, present, future, willingness → 我不吃肉。(Wǒ bù chī ròu.) — I don't eat meat.
- 没(有) = it did not happen / is not completed → 我没吃饭。(Wǒ méi chī fàn.) — I haven't eaten.
- Compare: 我不去。(Wǒ bú qù.) — I'm not going. ／ 我没去。(Wǒ méi qù.) — I didn't go.
- With 是 (shì), only 不 is possible: 他不是老师。(Tā bú shì lǎoshī.) ✓ ／ 他没是老师。(Tā méi shì lǎoshī.) ❌
- With 有 (yǒu), only 没 is possible: 我没有钱。(Wǒ méiyǒu qián.) ✓ ／ 我不有钱。(Wǒ bù yǒu qián.) ❌
Examples
我不喝咖啡。
Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.
I don't drink coffee.
他不是我的老师。
Tā bú shì wǒ de lǎoshī.
He is not my teacher.
我不想去商店。
Wǒ bù xiǎng qù shāngdiàn.
I don't want to go to the shop.
她不会开车。
Tā bú huì kāichē.
She can't drive.
今天不太热。
Jīntiān bú tài rè.
It's not very hot today.
我明天不上班。
Wǒ míngtiān bú shàngbān.
I'm not working tomorrow.
Usage Notes
- Tone change: 不 is bù on its own, but becomes bú before any fourth-tone syllable — 不是 (bú shì), 不去 (bú qù), 不要 (bú yào), 不太 (bú tài). This is automatic in speech and worth drilling early.
- 不 goes before the whole verb phrase, including auxiliaries: 我不想吃。(Wǒ bù xiǎng chī.) ✓ ／ 我想不吃。(Wǒ xiǎng bù chī.) ❌
- To answer a yes/no question negatively, repeat the verb with 不 — Chinese has no standalone word for "no": 你去吗？(Nǐ qù ma?) — 不去。(Bú qù.)
- With 很 (hěn) and 太 (tài), 不 comes first: 不很好 (bù hěn hǎo) is unusual; say 不太好 (bú tài hǎo) — not very good — instead.
- Separable verbs split around the object, but 不 still sits in front: 我不上班。(Wǒ bú shàngbān.) — I don't go to work.