Level 1 · Beginner
Negation with 不
不 + Verb / Adj.
To make a sentence negative, put 不 (bù) directly before the verb or adjective: 我不喝咖啡 "I don't drink coffee", 今天不冷 "today isn't cold". It works for habits, the present, and the future.
One big exception: 有 (to have) is never negated with 不. Always say 没有, never 不有 — see "Having things with 有".
Examples
我不喝咖啡。
wǒ bù hē kā fēi
I don't drink coffee.
他不是老师。
他不是老師。
tā bù shì lǎo shī
He is not a teacher.
今天不冷。
jīn tiān bù lěng
It's not cold today.
我不想去。
wǒ bù xiǎng qù
I don't want to go.
Common mistakes
✗ 我不有钱。
✓ 我没有钱。
有 is the one verb that takes 没 instead of 不.
Related grammar points
See it in a story
Read this pattern in context: The Missing Little Lamb (Part 2) — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.
