The Special Case of Negating “Have” with 没 (méi) in Chinese

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

In Chinese, the verb 有 (yǒu), meaning “to have,” is negated differently from other verbs. Instead of using 不 (bù) to negate it, you must use 没 (méi). This blog will guide you through the correct usage and provide examples to help you understand this unique aspect of Chinese grammar.

Contents

1. Structure
2. Examples
3. The Short Form of 没有 (méiyǒu) Is 没 (méi)
4. See Also
5. Sources and Further Reading

1. Structure

In Chinese, nearly all verbs can be negated with 不 (bù). However, the verb 有 (yǒu) is an important exception and must be negated with 没 (méi).

Structure:

没 + 有 (+ Obj.)

Note: Due to the special relationship between 没 (méi) and 有 (yǒu), the pinyin for 没有 is normally written without a space: “méiyǒu.”

2. Examples

Here are some sentences to illustrate the correct usage of 没有 (méiyǒu):

• 我 没有 问题。
  
  • Wǒ méiyǒu wèntí.
  • I don’t have any questions.
• 我们 现在 没有 钱。
  
  • Wǒmen xiànzài méiyǒu qián.
  • We don’t have money now.
• 他 没有 工作 吗？
  
  • Tā méiyǒu gōngzuò ma?
  • Does he not have a job?
• 他们 没有 爸爸 妈妈。
  
  • Tāmen méiyǒu bàba māma.
  • They don’t have parents.
• 我们 在 北京 没有 房子。
  
  • Wǒmen zài Běijīng méiyǒu fángzi.
  • We don’t have a house in Beijing.
• 你 爸爸 没有 手机 吗？
  • Nǐ bàba méiyǒu shǒujī ma?
  • Does your dad not have a cell phone?
• 你们 在 上海 没有 朋友 吗？
  
  • Nǐmen zài Shànghǎi méiyǒu péngyou ma?
  • Do you not have friends in Shanghai?
• 我 的 老师 现在 没有 男朋友。
  
  • Wǒ de lǎoshī xiànzài méiyǒu nánpéngyou.
  • My teacher doesn’t have a boyfriend now.
• 他们 都 没有 电脑 吗？
  
  • Tāmen dōu méiyǒu diànnǎo ma?
  • Do they all not have computers?
• 这 个 周末 你们 都 没有 时间 吗？
  
  • Zhège zhōumò nǐmen dōu méiyǒu shíjiān ma?
  • Do you all not have time this weekend?

Remember: Trying to negate 有 (yǒu) with 不 (bù) is a classic mistake. Always use 没 (méi) with 有 (yǒu).

• 我 不 有 车。
  
  • Wǒ bù yǒu chē. (Incorrect)
• 我 没有 车。
• Wǒ méiyǒu chē. (Correct)
• I don’t have a car.

3. The Short Form of 没有 (méiyǒu) Is 没 (méi)

没有 (méiyǒu) can be shortened to 没 (méi) without altering its meaning.

Examples:

• 我 没 钱。
  
  • Wǒ méi qián.
  • I don’t have money.
• 你 没 男朋友 吗？
  
  • Nǐ méi nánpéngyou ma?
  • Do you not have a boyfriend?
• 你们 没 车 吗？
  
  • Nǐmen méi chē ma?
  • You don’t have a car?
• 老板 现在 没 时间。
  
  • Lǎobǎn xiànzài méi shíjiān.
  • The boss doesn’t have time right now.
• 我 没 工作，我 老公 也 没 工作。
  
  • Wǒ méi gōngzuò, wǒ lǎogōng yě méi gōngzuò.
  • I don’t have a job. My husband doesn’t have a job either.