没有 for 'Not as…as' in Chinese
没有
A 没有 B + adjective says A has less of a quality than B, often translated as 'A is not as…as B.' 昨天没有今天热 compares two days without 比. The adjective follows B directly in the basic pattern; do not add 很 or move either comparison term after it.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
A + 没有 + B + Adjective
Read the structure
A 没有 B + adjective says A has less of a quality than B, often translated as 'A is not as…as B.' 昨天没有今天热 compares two days without 比. The adjective follows B directly in the basic pattern; do not add 很 or move either comparison term after it. Keep the model A + 没有 + B + Adjective visible while you compare each sentence.
昨天没有今天热。
Yesterday was not as hot as today.
Choose the right context
Say one thing has less of a quality than another: 昨天没有今天热。 Compare people with a simple adjective: 弟弟没有哥哥高。 Use the pattern when English says 'not as adjective as.'
弟弟没有哥哥高。
The younger brother is not as tall as the older brother.
Respect the boundary
Do not move B after the adjective; B must immediately follow 没有. Do not add 很 before the comparison adjective in the basic pattern. Do not confuse comparison 没有 with simple possession or event negation.
昨天没有热今天。
(Yesterday was not as hot as today.)
Repair the pattern
Second comparison term placed after the adjective: The required order is A + 没有 + B + adjective. 今天 is B and must come before the quality 热. Intensifier added before the comparison adjective: In the basic 没有 comparison, the adjective follows B without an intensifier. 很 cannot be inserted before 贵 here.
昨天没有今天热。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
昨天没有今天热。
Yesterday was not as hot as today.
昨天
A
This part occupies the A position in the model pattern.
没有
没有
This part occupies the 没有 position in the model pattern.
今天
B
This part occupies the B position in the model pattern.
热
Adjective
This part occupies the Adjective position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
昨天没有今天热。
Yesterday was not as hot as today.
弟弟没有哥哥高。
The younger brother is not as tall as the older brother.
这个书包没有那个贵。
This schoolbag is not as expensive as that one.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Say one thing has less of a quality than another: 昨天没有今天热。
- Compare people with a simple adjective: 弟弟没有哥哥高。
- Use the pattern when English says 'not as adjective as.'
Do not use it when
- Do not move B after the adjective; B must immediately follow 没有.
- Do not add 很 before the comparison adjective in the basic pattern.
- Do not confuse comparison 没有 with simple possession or event negation.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
昨天没有热今天。
昨天没有今天热。
Second comparison term placed after the adjective
The required order is A + 没有 + B + adjective. 今天 is B and must come before the quality 热.
这个书包没有那个很贵。
这个书包没有那个贵。
Intensifier added before the comparison adjective
In the basic 没有 comparison, the adjective follows B without an intensifier. 很 cannot be inserted before 贵 here.
昨天没有热今天。
The required order is A + 没有 + B + adjective. 今天 is B and must come before the quality 热.
这个书包没有那个很贵。
In the basic 没有 comparison, the adjective follows B without an intensifier. 很 cannot be inserted before 贵 here.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 没有.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 没有. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
没有 for 'Not as…as' Questions
What does A 没有 B 高 mean?
It means A is not as tall as B, or A is less tall than B. The order is A, 没有, B, then the quality.
Can I say 没有 B 很高 in this comparison?
No. In the basic pattern, put the adjective directly after B: A 没有 B 高. Do not add 很.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, A.1.4.3 特殊句型, 【一38】比较句1, (2) A没有B+形容词
Supports placement in HSK 1; it does not independently establish the usage explanation.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: §33.2.1.1 (less-than comparisons with 没有)
The less-than quality pattern is NP1 + 没有 + NP2 + adjectival verb, and the adjectival verb cannot be preceded by an intensifier.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
A 不如 B……不如: Not as...as
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比起……来比起…来: Compared With
Compare this lesson with 比起……来 establishing a comparison topic before the evaluation; both belong to comparison standards and relative difference, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
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跟……相比跟...相比: Setting a Comparison Frame
Compare this lesson with 跟……相比 establishing an explicit comparison frame; both belong to comparison standards and relative difference, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
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