不 + Verb (standard negation)

• 拼音: bù
• 结构: Subject + 不 + Verb / Adjective + (Object)

含义

The adverb 不 (bù) is placed before a verb or adjective to express negation. It is the most common way to say 'not' in Mandarin and is used for habitual actions, present states, and future intentions.

不 is the default negator in Mandarin, used with most verbs and adjectives. It negates habitual or general actions ('I don't drink coffee'), present states ('I'm not busy'), and willingness or intention ('I won't go'). Crucially, 不 cannot negate past completed actions — use 没 for that. Before a fourth-tone syllable, 不 changes to second tone (bú), as in 不是 (bú shì). 不 can also negate adjectives directly, though 不太 (not very) is often preferred for politeness.

例句

1. 我不喜欢吃辣的东西。
2. 她今天不上班，在家休息。
3. 这条路不远，走十分钟就到了。

用法指南

语境: spoken, written, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

• 我不喝咖啡，我只喝茶。
• 明天不下雨的话，我们去爬山。
• 她不高兴，因为考试没考好。

错误说法

• 我昨天不去学校。(For actions that did not happen in the past, use 没 instead of 不 — 不 only negates habitual or future actions) → 我昨天没去学校。
• 他不吃了饭。(不 cannot appear between a verb and 了 — to negate a completed action, use 没吃饭) → 他没吃饭。

起源与历史

不 is one of the oldest negative particles in Chinese, attested in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty over three thousand years ago. Its pronunciation and function have remained remarkably stable throughout Chinese language history.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal