Chinese Grammar Core Course — Unit 04
Unit 04
Negation: 不, 没(有), and 别
Use 不 for habits, intention, and future; use 没(有) for an action that did not happen. 别 is a direct negative request.
Build the predicate first, then decide which information belongs before it. English lets many adverbials drift; Chinese rewards a stable frame.
Do not translate word by word. First identify the main verb, then attach time, place, negation, or aspect in the order shown by the pattern.
Pattern to hear
我不喝咖啡。昨天没喝。别着急。
Meaning in context: I do not drink coffee. I did not drink it yesterday. Do not worry.
How to use it
Use 不 for habits, intention, and future; use 没(有) for an action that did not happen. 别 is a direct negative request.
我不喝咖啡。昨天没喝咖啡。
Build the predicate first, then decide which information belongs before it. English lets many adverbials drift; Chinese rewards a stable frame.
Do not translate word by word. First identify the main verb, then attach time, place, negation, or aspect in the order shown by the pattern.
Self-check
- How to use it
- Underline the main verb first. Then place time and location in front of it instead of repairing the sentence after translation.
- Build it yourself
- Describe one routine in three versions: bare subject–verb–object, then add time, then add place.
- Self-check
- Can you remove one phrase and still hear a complete sentence spine?
Contrast and decision
For English speakers, the main adjustment is not basic SVO order but keeping time, place, aspect markers, and complements in their Chinese positions.
What to notice: Negation: 不, 没(有), and 别
More examples to read aloud
- 他今天不来。
- 我没看电影。
- 请别说话。
Read the pattern, cover the translation, and rebuild the sentence from its meaning. Return to the detailed articles for exceptions and nuance.
Build it yourself
Contrast “I do not go” with “I did not go yesterday”.
分别说一个习惯和一个昨天没有发生的动作。
Check the answer only after you have said or written your version.
Self-check
Model and reason
Use 不 for habits, intention, and future; use 没(有) for an action that did not happen. 别 is a direct negative request.
我不抽烟。昨天没看电影。
Read the pattern, cover the translation, and rebuild the sentence from its meaning. Return to the detailed articles for exceptions and nuance.