没

• Pinyin: méi
• Hanzi breakdown: 没 = 氵(water) + 殳 (strike) — originally 'to sink,' extended to negation

Meaning

Not; have not; did not. The primary negation word for possession and completed actions.

Used in two main patterns: 没有 negates possession ('don't have') and negates completed actions ('didn't'). Unlike 不, which negates habits and intentions, 没 negates what has already happened or what one possesses. The 有 is often dropped in casual speech, leaving just 没.

Examples

1. 我没有钱买这个。 I don't have money to buy this.
2. 他昨天没来上课。 He didn't come to class yesterday.
3. 冰箱里没有牛奶了。 There's no more milk in the fridge.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, conversation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我没吃早饭。(I didn't eat breakfast.)
• 她没有手机。(She doesn't have a phone.)

Don't Say

• 说'我没去明天'来否定将来的事。(Don't use 没 for future actions — 没 is for past events; say 我明天不去 for 'I won't go tomorrow')

Origin & History

Composed of 氵 (water radical) and 殳 (to strike/weapon). The original meaning was 'to sink into water' or 'to submerge,' which evolved into the abstract sense of negation — something that has disappeared or does not exist.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal