勿: Formal Do Not in Chinese
勿
勿 is a concise formal or literary prohibition meaning ‘do not.’ It comes directly before the action to be avoided and is common in notices, instructions, and set expressions such as 勿念. It already supplies negation, so it cannot combine with 不, and it should not follow the prohibited action.
Published July 23, 2026
Reviewed July 23, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
勿 + Verb phrase
Read the structure
勿 is a concise formal or literary prohibition meaning ‘do not.’ It comes directly before the action to be avoided and is common in notices, instructions, and set expressions such as 勿念. It already supplies negation, so it cannot combine with 不, and it should not follow the prohibited action. Keep the model 勿 + Verb phrase visible while you compare each sentence.
请勿在车内吸烟。
Please do not smoke inside the vehicle.
Choose the right context
Write a concise prohibition in a notice. Use set expressions such as 请勿吸烟 or 勿念. Give formal instructions about an action to avoid.
希望各位勿忘约定。
I hope everyone will not forget the agreement.
Respect the boundary
Do not add 不 after 勿. Do not place 勿 after the prohibited action. Do not use it as a neutral conversational command when 别 is more appropriate.
请勿不吸烟。
(Please do not not smoke.)
Repair the pattern
Two negators are stacked: 勿 already means ‘do not’; adding 不 reverses or corrupts the intended prohibition. 勿 follows the prohibited action: The prohibitive marker 勿 must precede the entire action phrase.
请勿吸烟。
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.
请勿在车内吸烟。
Please do not smoke inside the vehicle.
请
勿
This part occupies the 勿 position in the model pattern.
勿
Verb phrase
This part occupies the Verb phrase position in the model pattern.
在
勿
This part occupies the 勿 position in the model pattern.
车
Verb phrase
This part occupies the Verb phrase position in the model pattern.
内
勿
This part occupies the 勿 position in the model pattern.
吸烟
Verb phrase
This part occupies the Verb phrase 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.
请勿在车内吸烟。
Please do not smoke inside the vehicle.
希望各位勿忘约定。
I hope everyone will not forget the agreement.
我在国外一切都好，勿念。
Everything is fine abroad; do not worry about me.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Write a concise prohibition in a notice.
- Use set expressions such as 请勿吸烟 or 勿念.
- Give formal instructions about an action to avoid.
Do not use it when
- Do not add 不 after 勿.
- Do not place 勿 after the prohibited action.
- Do not use it as a neutral conversational command when 别 is more appropriate.
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.
请勿不吸烟。
请勿吸烟。
Two negators are stacked
勿 already means ‘do not’; adding 不 reverses or corrupts the intended prohibition.
请在车内吸烟勿。
请勿在车内吸烟。
勿 follows the prohibited action
The prohibitive marker 勿 must precede the entire action phrase.
请勿不吸烟。
勿 already means ‘do not’; adding 不 reverses or corrupts the intended prohibition.
请在车内吸烟勿。
The prohibitive marker 勿 must precede the entire action phrase.
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 勿.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 勿. 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
勿: Formal Do Not Questions
How is 勿 different from 别?
Both prohibit an action, but 勿 is formal or written while 别 is normal in conversation.
Why does 请 often appear before 勿?
请勿 is a conventional polite notice formula meaning ‘please do not.’
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: GF0025-2021 Appendix A, combined Levels 7–9 item 【七—九024】, 否定副词：勿 (printed p. 239)
Supports placement in the official combined Levels 7-9 band; the exact site level remains an internal difficulty label; 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: Chapter 50, §50.2, prohibition markers before the prohibited action
Explains that prohibition markers precede the prohibited verb phrase; GF0025-2021 supplies the formal marker 勿.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
别别 for Negative Commands
Compare this lesson with 别 giving an everyday negative command; both belong to negative and prohibitive stance, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
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未未: Formal Not Yet
Compare this lesson with formal 未 marking an event not yet realized; both belong to negative and prohibitive stance, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
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不由得不由得: Unable to Help Reacting
Compare this lesson with 不由得 marking an action outside deliberate control; both belong to negative and prohibitive stance, but they organize a different sentence role or discourse job.
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