不 (bù) vs. 没 (méi): How to Make Negative Sentences in Chinese (With Examples)

The quick answer to 不 (bù) vs. 没 (méi) is this: use 不 for habits, wishes, plans, the future and adjectives, and use 没 for actions that did not happen or have not happened yet. 没 is also the only way to negate 有 (yǒu), "to have." So 我不喝 means "I don't drink (it)" or "I won't drink it," while 我没喝 means "I didn't drink it."

This is one of the first grammar choices every learner meets, and it appears early in the HSK 1 and HSK 2 syllabus. This guide covers the core rule, 没有 vs. 没, special verbs that always take 不, how 没 works with 过 and with adjectives, potential complements, the tone change of 不, and how to say "don't" with 别. At the end you will find a comparison table, common mistakes, a short quiz and an FAQ. If you are still building your basic word order, start with our Chinese grammar basics for new learners.

The Core Rule: Will and Habit vs. What Happened

Think of it like this:

不 (bù) talks about choice, habit, fact and opinion. "I don't, I won't, it isn't."
没 (méi) talks about events. "It didn't happen" or "it hasn't happened yet."

Compare these pairs:

我不喝咖啡。
- Pinyin: Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.
- English: I don't drink coffee. (a habit)
我今天早上没喝咖啡。
- Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān zǎoshang méi hē kāfēi.
- English: I didn't drink coffee this morning. (an event that did not happen)
他不来。
- Pinyin: Tā bù lái.
- English: He isn't coming. / He won't come. (his choice)
他没来。
- Pinyin: Tā méi lái.
- English: He didn't come. (a fact about the past)

不 for the Future and for Plans

Because the future has not happened yet, it is about will and plans, so it takes 不:

明天我不去公司，在家工作。
- Pinyin: Míngtiān wǒ bú qù gōngsī, zài jiā gōngzuò.
- English: Tomorrow I'm not going to the office. I'm working from home.

Wish verbs also take 不. See our guide to 想 vs. 要 for why 不想 and 不要 feel so different.

我太累了，不想做饭。
- Pinyin: Wǒ tài lèi le, bù xiǎng zuò fàn.
- English: I'm too tired. I don't feel like cooking.

不 for Past Habits

不 is not banned from the past. When you describe a past habit or a general state, 不 is correct:

我小时候不吃青菜。
- Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎo shíhou bù chī qīngcài.
- English: When I was little, I didn't eat green vegetables.

没有 vs. 没: Long Form and Short Form

没 is simply the short form of 没有 (méiyǒu). Before a verb, both are fine:

她没(有)回我的消息。
- Pinyin: Tā méi(yǒu) huí wǒ de xiāoxi.
- English: She didn't reply to my message.

Three points to remember:

有 can only be negated with 没. "不有" does not exist.
- 我没有车。
  - Pinyin: Wǒ méiyǒu chē.
  - English: I don't have a car.
A short answer needs the full form. If someone asks 你看了吗？, answer 没有, not 没 alone.
At the end of a yes/no question, use 没有.
- 你吃午饭了没有？
  - Pinyin: Nǐ chī wǔfàn le méiyǒu?
  - English: Have you had lunch yet?

For more on asking questions this way, see our guide to Chinese question words and question forms.

Drop 了 After 没

了 marks something that happened. 没 says it did not happen. So they do not go together on the same verb. Learn more in our complete guide to the particle 了.

我买了票。 → 我没买票。
- Pinyin: Wǒ mǎi le piào. → Wǒ méi mǎi piào.
- English: I bought a ticket. → I didn't buy a ticket.

To say "not yet," add 还 and often 呢 at the end:

电影还没开始呢。
- Pinyin: Diànyǐng hái méi kāishǐ ne.
- English: The movie hasn't started yet.

Verbs That Always Take 不: 是, 在, 会, 能 and Others

Some verbs describe states, not actions. They are negated with 不 even when you talk about the past.

是 (shì): 他不是我的老板。
- Pinyin: Tā bú shì wǒ de lǎobǎn.
- English: He isn't my boss.
在 (zài): 昨天晚上我打电话的时候，她不在家。
- Pinyin: Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ dǎ diànhuà de shíhou, tā bú zài jiā.
- English: When I called last night, she wasn't home.
会 (huì): 去年我还不会开车。
- Pinyin: Qùnián wǒ hái bú huì kāichē.
- English: Last year I still couldn't drive.
能 (néng): 我今天不能喝酒，我要开车。
- Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān bù néng hē jiǔ, wǒ yào kāichē.
- English: I can't drink today. I'm driving.

The same goes for 知道, 认识, 喜欢 and 觉得: 我不知道 (I don't know / I didn't know). For the different kinds of "can," read our guide to 会 vs. 能 vs. 可以.

没 with 过: "Have Never Done"

To say you have never had an experience, use 没 + verb + 过. Never use 不 here.

我没去过西安。
- Pinyin: Wǒ méi qùguo Xī'ān.
- English: I've never been to Xi'an.
这道菜我从来没吃过。
- Pinyin: Zhè dào cài wǒ cónglái méi chīguo.
- English: I've never eaten this dish.

Unlike 了, the particle 过 stays in the negative sentence. Our article on 过 vs. 了 explains this contrast in detail.

Adjectives: 不 for a Quality, 没 for a Change

Most of the time, adjectives take 不:

这个菜不辣。
- Pinyin: Zhège cài bú là.
- English: This dish isn't spicy.

But when an adjective describes a change that has not happened yet, use 没. Compare:

这件衣服不干净。
- Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yīfu bù gānjìng.
- English: This shirt isn't clean. (a quality)
衣服还没干。
- Pinyin: Yīfu hái méi gān.
- English: The clothes haven't dried yet. (a change that hasn't happened)
天还没黑，我们再玩一会儿吧。
- Pinyin: Tiān hái méi hēi, wǒmen zài wán yíhuìr ba.
- English: It hasn't got dark yet. Let's play a bit longer.

Potential Complements: Always 不

When you say you can or cannot manage something, Chinese often uses a potential complement: verb + 得/不 + result. The negative form always uses 不, placed in the middle.

老师说得太快，我听不懂。
- Pinyin: Lǎoshī shuō de tài kuài, wǒ tīng bu dǒng.
- English: The teacher speaks too fast. I can't understand.

Compare this with 没, which reports one result that did not happen:

刚才那句话我没听懂。
- Pinyin: Gāngcái nà jù huà wǒ méi tīngdǒng.
- English: I didn't catch that sentence just now.

The first is about ability in general. The second is about one moment. Our guide to Chinese potential complements has many more examples.

The Tone Change of 不: bù or bú?

不 is fourth tone (bù) on its own and before first, second and third tones. Before another fourth tone, it changes to second tone (bú):

Before	Pronunciation	Example
1st tone	bù	不吃 (bù chī)
2nd tone	bù	不来 (bù lái)
3rd tone	bù	不好 (bù hǎo)
4th tone	bú	不是 (bú shì), 不对 (bú duì), 不客气 (bú kèqi)

Inside a word or question form, 不 is often light and toneless: 好不好 (hǎo bu hǎo), 听不懂 (tīng bu dǒng). 没 (méi) always stays second tone. If tones still feel shaky, review our guide to the four Mandarin tones. The tone trainer in the Learn Chinese app is a simple way to drill pairs like bù hǎo and bú shì until you hear the difference.

别 (bié): How to Say "Don't" in Chinese

不 and 没 describe things. To tell someone not to do something, use 别 or 不要:

别担心，我马上到。
- Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, wǒ mǎshàng dào.
- English: Don't worry, I'll be there soon.
别忘了带钥匙。
- Pinyin: Bié wàng le dài yàoshi.
- English: Don't forget to bring your keys.
上课的时候不要玩手机。
- Pinyin: Shàngkè de shíhou bú yào wán shǒujī.
- English: Don't play on your phone in class.

别 is shorter and more common in speech. 不要 is also used on signs and in rules. Do not use 不 alone for a command: 不担心 sounds like a statement, not "don't worry."

不 vs. 没 vs. 别: Quick Comparison Table

Use	Word	Example	English
Habit or general fact	不	我不抽烟。	I don't smoke.
Choice, plan or future	不	周末我不加班。	I'm not working overtime this weekend.
Adjective (quality)	不	房间不大。	The room isn't big.
是, 在, 会, 能, 知道	不	他不在办公室。	He isn't in the office.
Potential complement	不	我拿不动。	I can't carry it.
Past event that didn't happen	没	我昨天没上班。	I didn't go to work yesterday.
Not yet	还没	他还没起床。	He hasn't got up yet.
Negating 有	没	我没有时间。	I don't have time.
Never done (with 过)	没	我没坐过高铁。	I've never taken a high-speed train.
Telling someone not to	别 / 不要	别开门！	Don't open the door!

Common Mistakes with 不 and 没

Mistake 1: Using 不 for a Past Event

Wrong: 昨天我不去超市。
Right: 昨天我没去超市。
- Pinyin: Zuótiān wǒ méi qù chāoshì.
- English: I didn't go to the supermarket yesterday.

Mistake 2: Saying "不有"

Wrong: 我不有兄弟姐妹。
Right: 我没有兄弟姐妹。
- Pinyin: Wǒ méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi.
- English: I don't have any brothers or sisters.

Mistake 3: Keeping 了 After 没

Wrong: 我没吃了早饭。
Right: 我没吃早饭。
- Pinyin: Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn.
- English: I didn't eat breakfast.

Mistake 4: Using 没 with 是

Wrong: 那时候他没是学生。
Right: 那时候他不是学生。
- Pinyin: Nà shíhou tā bú shì xuésheng.
- English: He wasn't a student back then.

Mistake 5: Using 不 with 过

Wrong: 我不看过这本书。
Right: 我没看过这本书。
- Pinyin: Wǒ méi kànguo zhè běn shū.
- English: I've never read this book.

Practice Quiz: 不 or 没?

Fill in each blank with 不, 没 or 别. Answers are below.

我妈妈 ___ 喝酒。 (My mom doesn't drink alcohol.)
我昨天 ___ 看见他。 (I didn't see him yesterday.)
他 ___ 是中国人，是日本人。 (He isn't Chinese, he's Japanese.)
我 ___ 有钱了，借我一点儿吧。 (I'm out of money. Lend me some.)
你 ___ 着急，慢慢说。 (Don't rush. Take your time.)
作业我还 ___ 写完呢。 (I haven't finished my homework yet.)
这个字太小了，我看 ___ 清楚。 (This character is too small. I can't see it clearly.)
我从来 ___ 去过日本。 (I've never been to Japan.)

Answers

不 (a habit)
没 (a past event)
不 (是 always takes 不)
没 (有 always takes 没)
别 (telling someone not to)
没 (not yet)
不 (potential complement)
没 (never done, with 过)

If any of these words were new, the HSK 1 vocabulary list and the HSK 2 vocabulary list cover them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between 不 and 没 in Chinese?

不 (bù) negates habits, wishes, plans, the future, adjectives and verbs like 是, 在 and 会. 没 (méi) negates actions that did not happen or have not happened yet, and it is the only way to negate 有.

Is 没 the same as 没有?

Yes, in almost all cases. 没 is the shorter form of 没有. Before a verb you can use either one. On its own as a short answer, or at the end of a question like 你吃饭了没有, you need the full form 没有.

Why is 不 sometimes pronounced bú?

不 is fourth tone (bù) by default, but it changes to second tone (bú) when the next syllable is also fourth tone, as in 不是 (bú shì) and 不去 (bú qù). Between two words, as in 好不好, it is often read in a light, neutral tone. 没 never changes its tone.

Can I use 不 to talk about the past?

Yes, when you describe a past habit or state rather than a single event. 他小时候不吃鱼 means he did not eat fish as a child. Verbs like 是, 在, 知道 and 认识 also keep 不 in the past.

What is the difference between 不要 and 别?

Both tell someone not to do something. 别 is shorter and very common in speech, as in 别担心 (don't worry). 不要 is a little fuller and is also used on signs and in writing. Neither one is used to describe facts.

What's Next

Once 不 and 没 feel natural, look at how negation works with the particle 了 and with potential complements, since both come up often in HSK 2 and HSK 3 reading.

Learn Chinese is free to download on iOS and Android, with HSK vocabulary, built-in audio, grammar lessons and practice tests to help you use 不 and 没 correctly. HSK 1 and 2 are free in full, and Learn Chinese Pro unlocks HSK 3 to 6.