没用

• Pinyin: méi yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 没 = 氵(water) + 殳 (strike), originally meaning to sink or submerge, extended to mean not/without; 用 = pictograph of a container, meaning to use

Meaning

Useless; no use; pointless. Describes something or someone that serves no practical purpose.

Used very frequently in spoken Chinese. Can describe objects (没用的东西 = useless thing), actions (说了也没用 = it's no use saying it), or people (you're useless — though this is quite harsh). The opposite is 有用 (useful). Often used in frustration or dismissal. Can function as both an adjective and a predicate.

Examples

1. 你说再多也没用，他不会改的。 No matter how much you say, it's useless — he won't change.
2. 这些旧东西都没用了，扔了吧。 These old things are all useless now — just throw them away.
3. 光着急没用，得想办法解决问题。 Just worrying is pointless — you need to find a way to solve the problem.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, frustration, evaluation

Tone: dismissive

Do Say

• 抱怨没用，不如行动。(Complaining is useless — better to take action.)
• 这个方法没用，我们换一个吧。(This method doesn't work — let's try another.)

Don't Say

• 这个没用很大。(Don't use 没用 with degree words like 很 — it's already absolute. Say 这个完全没用 for emphasis, or 这个没什么用 for a softer tone.)

Origin & History

没 means not or without; 用 means use or function. Together: without use — serving no purpose.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal