不 bù not
no; not
How it came to be
The old dictionary reads it as a bird flying up and not coming back: the sky line with the flight trailing under it. What is above is out of reach.
How it is used
- The everyday not - 不去 (bú qù) won't go, 不好 (bù hǎo) not good, 不是 (bú shì) isn't.
- For didn't / hasn't with a real past action, switch to 没 (méi): 没去 didn't go, not 不去.
- Tone sandhi: 不 becomes bú before a 4th-tone syllable - 不是 (bú shì), 不要 (bú yào).
Characters built with 不
Words with 不
- 不客气bú kèqìyou are welcomeHSK 1
- 对不起duìbuqǐsorryHSK 1
- 不要búyàodon't!HSK 1
- 不好意思bùhǎoyìsito feel embarrassedHSK 2
- 不错búcuònot badHSK 2
- 差不多chàbuduōalmostHSK 3
- 不但búdànnot onlyHSK 3
- 不久bùjiǔnot long (after)HSK 3
- 不同bùtóngdifferentHSK 3
- 不用búyòngneed notHSK 3
- 不行bùxíngwon't doHSK 3
- 不见bújiànnot to seeHSK 3
- 不过búguòbutHSK 4
- 不管bùguǎnno matter (what, how, etc.)HSK 4
- 不得不bù dé bùhave toHSK 4
- 受不了shòu bu liǎocannot endureHSK 4
- 不仅bùjǐnnot onlyHSK 4
- 来不及lái bu jíthere's not enough time (to do something)HSK 4
- 不便búbiàninconvenientHSK 4
- 不光bùguāngnot the only oneHSK 4
- 不够búgòunot enoughHSK 4
- 不如bùrúnot equal toHSK 4
- 不必búbìneed notHSK 4
- 不断búduànunceasingHSK 4
- 不满bùmǎndissatisfiedHSK 4
- 不论búlùnwhateverHSK 4
- 不利búlìunfavorableHSK 5
- 不幸búxìngmisfortuneHSK 5
- 不得了bùdéliǎodesperately seriousHSK 5
- 不然bùránnot soHSK 5
- 不符bùfúinconsistentHSK 5
- 不良bùliángbadHSK 5
- 不要紧búyàojǐnunimportantHSK 5
- 不足bùzúinsufficientHSK 5
- 了不起liǎobuqǐamazingHSK 5
- 从不cóngbùneverHSK 5
- 舍不得shěbudeto hate to do somethingHSK 5
- 要不yàobùotherwiseHSK 5
- 要不是yàobúshìif it were not forHSK 5
- 说不定shuōbudìngcan't say for sureHSK 5
Example sentences
- 他不会写字。 Tā bú huì xiězì.He can't write.
- 我不认识这个字。 Wǒ bú rènshi zhège zì.I don't know this character.
- 我不知道这件事。 Wǒ bù zhīdào zhè jiàn shì.I didn't know about that.
- 我不想和你说再见。 Wǒ bù xiǎng hé nǐ shuō zàijiàn.I don't want to say goodbye to you.