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没有 vs 不|Avoid This Most Common Chinese Beginner Mistake

[没有+verb] VS [不 + verb] is one of the most

common mistakes beginner Chinese learners make.

Let's take a look at the differences with

written sentence examples + real life conversations.



没有méi yǒu:

1.Don’t have.

2. There isn’t

3. Didn’t/haven’t

不bù:

  1. No

  2. Not

不+verb simply means I don’t do this,

I didn’t do it,

I won’t do it,

I just don’t do it.

It’s a table status.

没有+verb only means at certain time,

you didn’t do something or haven’t done something.

For example:

Q:

你吃过沙拉吗?

Have you eaten salad?

吃过?

Have eaten?

没有吃过?

Haven’t eaten?

A:

吃过.

Yes.

Q:

今天你吃了沙拉吗?

Did you eat salad today?

A:

没有吃。

Didn’t eat.

Q:

你喜欢吃沙拉吗?

Do you like eating salad?

A:

我不吃沙拉.

I don’t eat salad.

沙拉很恶心!

Salad is really gross!


You can also see examples in this Comprehensible Input Chinese lesson,

https://youtu.be/DOTPDPMdkzM

I will use examples to show you how to use 没有 and 不 in real life conversations.

This is a super beginner level lesson.

It’s the 3rd lesson for the students, Boris and Haley,

so you will see a lot of visual aids and hand gestures that we created.

Try to listen to the lesson without reading the subtitles first,

the visual aids will help you understand most of the lesson.

Comprehensible input based Chinese lessons

will maximize your Chinese input and understanding.

Try it!!!

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