HSK 1
不 (bù) vs 没 (méi): Negation in Chinese
不 and 没 both mean "not", but split by type and time. 不 negates habits, preferences, states, and future plans (我不喝咖啡). 没(有) negates a completed action — something that did not happen (我没吃饭). The rules to lock in: states take 不, and 没 never pairs with 了.
STRUCTURE
不: habit/future, 没: completed
When to use 不/没 — and when not
Use it when
- 不 for habits, likes, states, and future: 我不喝咖啡 / 我明天不去。
- 没(有) for a completed action that didn't happen: 我没看那个电影。
- 没(有) for "not yet" or experience: 我还没吃饭 / 我没去过日本。
Don't use it when
- 不 for a completed action — that is 没: 我昨天没去, not 我昨天不去 for "didn't go".
- 没 with a like or state — those take 不: 我不喜欢, never 我没喜欢。
- 没 together with 了 — 没 already marks incompletion, so 了 drops: 我没吃饭, not 我没吃了饭。
Right vs. wrong
我没喜欢中文。
我不喜欢中文。
没 used to negate a like or state
Likes, preferences, and states are negated with 不, never 没. 没 only negates a completed action, and 喜欢 is a state, not an event that finishes.
我没吃了饭。
我没吃饭。
没 combined with 了
没 already says the action did not complete, so a completion 了 contradicts it and must drop. 没 and 了 never appear together on the same verb.
Examples
我不喝咖啡。
Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.
I don't drink coffee.
我明天不去。
Wǒ míngtiān bù qù.
I'm not going tomorrow.
我没吃饭。
Wǒ méi chī fàn.
I haven't eaten.
我没看那个电影。
Wǒ méi kàn nàge diànyǐng.
I didn't see that movie.
我还没去过日本。
Wǒ hái méi qù guo Rìběn.
I haven't been to Japan yet.
Common mistakes
我没喜欢中文。
Wǒ méi xǐhuan Zhōngwén.
Likes and states take 不: 我不喜欢中文。
我没吃了饭。
Wǒ méi chī le fàn.
没 and 了 don't combine; drop 了: 我没吃饭。
我明天没去。
Wǒ míngtiān méi qù.
Future plans take 不, not 没: 我明天不去。
Think you've got it?
Write your own 不/没 sentence and check that grammar point first.
不 (bù) vs 没 (méi): Negation FAQ
What is the difference between 不 and 没?
不 negates habits, states, likes, and the future (我不喝酒 / 我明天不来). 没(有) negates a completed action that didn't happen (我没来). Roughly: 不 for general or future, 没 for "didn't".
Can I use 没 for the future?
No. Future plans take 不: 我明天不去. 没 only says something hasn't happened yet or didn't happen: 我还没去。
Why is 我没吃了饭 wrong?
没 already marks the action as not completed, so the completion 了 contradicts it. Use just 没: 我没吃饭。