When do I use 不 vs 没?

Use 不 for states, habits, and future; use 没 for completion (past) and existence. For example: '我不去' (I won't go) vs '我没去' (I didn't go).

Can I use 不 for past actions?

No, not for a specific completed action in the past. Use 没 instead. The exception is when 不 negates a stative verb that holds in the past, like '他以前不喜欢' (He didn't like it before).

Is 不在 correct? I heard that 不在 means 'not present'.

Yes, 不在 is correct and common. It negates 在 (to be at a place). For example, '他不在办公室' (He is not in the office). Use 不, not 没, for location negations.

How do I say 'don't' in Chinese?

Use 别 before the verb, e.g., '别跑' (don't run). For polite suggestions, you can also use '不要' (bù yào), which is softer. 别 is more direct.

Easily confusedHSK 2

不 vs 没 vs 别: 三种否定词的区别

The three core Chinese negators—不 (bù), 没 (méi), and 别 (bié)—serve distinct purposes. 不 negates states, habits, and future intentions; 没 negates completion, existence (没有), and past actions; 别 forms prohibitions ("don't"). Mastering these three is essential for accurate negation in Mandarin.

不 (bù), 没 (méi), and 别 (bié) form the backbone of negation in Chinese. 不 negates stative verbs (adjectives), habitual actions, intentions, and logical statements—it is the default negator for most situations except those involving completion or existence. 没 (or 没有) negates completed actions (past), experiences, and the existence of something (e.g., 没有 = "don't have"). 别 is used exclusively for prohibitions—telling someone not to do something. Choosing the wrong negator can change the meaning or sound unnatural.

When to use each

不bù

not

Use 不 to negate stative verbs/adjectives (e.g., 不高 'not tall'), habitual actions (e.g., 我不抽烟 'I don't smoke'), future intentions (e.g., 明天不去 'won't go tomorrow'), and logical negations (e.g., 这不是书 'this is not a book'). It also negates the verb 在 to indicate absence from a location (e.g., 他不在 'he is not here'). 不 is not used for completed past actions.

没méi

not

Use 没 (méi, often with 有 as 没有) to negate possession or existence (没有 'don't have / there is not'), completed actions in the past (e.g., 没去 'didn't go'), and actions that have not yet occurred relative to a reference time (e.g., 还没吃饭 'haven't eaten yet'). It is also used with 过 to negate experience (没去过 'have never been'). Do not use 没 with 了 in the same clause (the 了 is dropped after 没).

没 is sometimes used to negate stative verbs in comparisons (e.g., 没你好 'not as good as you'), but this is a fixed pattern distinct from habitual negation.

别bié

don't

Use 别 to form negative commands (prohibitions), equivalent to 'don't' in English. It always appears before the verb in imperative sentences (e.g., 别走 'don't go'). 别 can also soften a suggestion (e.g., 别客气 'don't be polite' = 'you're welcome') or express 'don't need to' in some contexts (e.g., 别担心 'don't worry'). It is not used in declarative statements.

In informal speech, 别 can be used without a verb to mean 'stop it' (e.g., 别! 'Don't!'). It is also sometimes combined with 不 to form 别不 (e.g., 别不去 'don't not go'), though this is rare.

At a glance

	不	没	别
Primary function	Negation of states, habits, future, logical negation	Negation of completion, existence, past actions	Prohibition (negative commands)
Time reference	Present, habitual, future	Past, present (existence), before a deadline	Usually immediate future (command)
With 有 (possession/existence)	不可 using 有; use 没有 instead	没(有) is the standard negator	不适用 (do not use 别 with 有)
With adjectives (stative verbs)	Standard: 不 + adjective (e.g., 不好)	Only in comparison pattern: 没 + adjective (e.g., 没你高)	Not used with adjectives
In imperatives	Not used for commands (except in 不要, which is less direct)	Not used for commands	Primary negator for commands
Negating 在 (location/existence)	Common: 不在 (e.g., 他不在)	Only with 有: 没有在…… (rare, literary)	Not used

Examples

不
我不喜欢吃鱼。
Wǒ bù xǐ huan chī yú.
I don't like eating fish.
不 negates the stative verb 喜欢, expressing a habitual state.
不
他明天不在家。
Tā míng tiān bú zài jiā.
He won't be at home tomorrow.
不 negates 在 (location) for a future state – a correct common usage.
没
我昨天没上班。
Wǒ zuó tiān méi shàng bān.
I didn't go to work yesterday.
没 negates a completed past action (昨天). ✗ '我昨天不工作' is unnatural for this meaning.
没
我没钱。
Wǒ méi qián.
I don't have money.
没 (没有) negates possession. 不 cannot be used here.
别
别说话！
Bié shuō huà!
Don't speak!
别 forms a direct prohibition – a negative command.
没
他别说——他什么都没说。
Tā bié shuō —— tā shén me dōu méi shuō.
Wrong: 'He don't say' — correct: 'He didn't say anything.'
✗ Using 别 in a statement is incorrect. The plain negation of 'he said' is 他没说 (using 没 for past).

Common mistakes

Using 不 for a completed past action: '我昨天不工作' should be '我昨天没工作' (or 没上班).
Using 没 for habitual negation: '我每天没运动' should be '我每天不运动'.
Using 别 in a declarative statement instead of a command: '*他别说' should be '他不说' (if meaning 'he doesn't speak') or '他没说' (if past).
Using 不 to negate possession: '*我不钱' is wrong; use '我没钱'.
Omitting 有 after 没 in isolation: '我没车' is correct, but '我没' alone as 'I don't have' is incomplete; say '我没有'.

FAQ

When do I use 不 vs 没?: Use 不 for states, habits, and future; use 没 for completion (past) and existence. For example: '我不去' (I won't go) vs '我没去' (I didn't go).
Can I use 不 for past actions?: No, not for a specific completed action in the past. Use 没 instead. The exception is when 不 negates a stative verb that holds in the past, like '他以前不喜欢' (He didn't like it before).
Is 不在 correct? I heard that 不在 means 'not present'.: Yes, 不在 is correct and common. It negates 在 (to be at a place). For example, '他不在办公室' (He is not in the office). Use 不, not 没, for location negations.
How do I say 'don't' in Chinese?: Use 别 before the verb, e.g., '别跑' (don't run). For polite suggestions, you can also use '不要' (bù yào), which is softer. 别 is more direct.