不

• Pinyin: bù
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 = ancient pictograph symbolising negation or refusal

Meaning

Not; no. The most fundamental negation word in Chinese.

Placed before verbs and adjectives to negate them: 不好 (not good), 不去 (not going), 不是 (is not). Has a tone sandhi rule: normally 4th tone (bù), but changes to 2nd tone (bú) before another 4th-tone syllable. Distinguished from 没 which negates past actions.

Examples

1. 我不去学校。 I'm not going to school.
2. 今天不冷。 It's not cold today.
3. 他不是中国人。 He's not Chinese.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, grammar

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我不知道。(I don't know.)
• 这个不好吃。(This doesn't taste good.)

Don't Say

• 我不吃了昨天的饭 (Don't use 不 for past events — use 没 instead: 我没吃昨天的饭)

Origin & History

An ancient character originally depicting a flower calyx that refuses to bloom, conveying the idea of refusal or negation. One of the oldest and most basic words in Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal