The 有 (yǒu) Sentence in Chinese
有
有 means both "have" (possession) and "there is / there are" (existence). A person + 有 + thing says someone owns it; a place + 有 + thing says something exists there. The one rule learners must lock in: 有 is negated with 没有, never 不有.
Published July 8, 2026
Reviewed July 8, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Subject or Place + 有 + Object (have)
Read the structure
有 means both "have" (possession) and "there is / there are" (existence). A person + 有 + thing says someone owns it; a place + 有 + thing says something exists there. The one rule learners must lock in: 有 is negated with 没有, never 不有. Keep the model Subject or Place + 有 + Object (have) visible while you compare each sentence.
我有一个哥哥。
I have an older brother.
Choose the right context
Possession — someone has something: 我有一个哥哥。 Existence — something is at a place: 桌子上有一本书。 Saying an amount exists: 我们班有二十个学生。
桌子上有一本书。
There is a book on the table.
Respect the boundary
Negating with 不: 有 is always negated as 没有, never 不有 — 我没有钱。 Equating or identifying two things — use 是: 那是我的老师, not 那有我的老师。 Linking a subject to an adjective — that needs 很 + adjective, not 有: 今天很冷, not 今天有冷。
我不有时间。
(I don't have time.)
Repair the pattern
Negating 有 with 不 instead of 没: 有 is the one common verb that never takes 不. Its negation is fixed as 没(有), so "don't have" is always 没有. English word order in an existence sentence: In an existence sentence the place comes first, then 有, then the thing: 桌子上有一本书. Starting with 有 and trailing the place copies English "there is a book on the table", which doesn't work in Chinese.
我没有时间。
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.
我有一个哥哥。
I have an older brother.
我有
Subject or Place
This part occupies the Subject or Place position in the model pattern.
一个
有
This part occupies the 有 position in the model pattern.
哥哥
Object (have)
This part occupies the Object (have) 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.
我有一个哥哥。
I have an older brother.
桌子上有一本书。
There is a book on the table.
我们班有二十个学生。
There are twenty students in our class.
我没有时间。
I don't have time.
你有中文书吗?
Do you have a Chinese book?
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Possession — someone has something: 我有一个哥哥。
- Existence — something is at a place: 桌子上有一本书。
- Saying an amount exists: 我们班有二十个学生。
Do not use it when
- Negating with 不: 有 is always negated as 没有, never 不有 — 我没有钱。
- Equating or identifying two things — use 是: 那是我的老师, not 那有我的老师。
- Linking a subject to an adjective — that needs 很 + adjective, not 有: 今天很冷, not 今天有冷。
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.
我不有时间。
我没有时间。
Negating 有 with 不 instead of 没
有 is the one common verb that never takes 不. Its negation is fixed as 没(有), so "don't have" is always 没有.
有一本书在桌子上。
桌子上有一本书。
English word order in an existence sentence
In an existence sentence the place comes first, then 有, then the thing: 桌子上有一本书. Starting with 有 and trailing the place copies English "there is a book on the table", which doesn't work in Chinese.
我不有时间。
有 is negated with 没有, never 不: 我没有时间。
有一本书在桌子上。
Existence puts the place first: 桌子上有一本书。
今天有冷。
有 can't link an adjective; use 很: 今天很冷。
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 有.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 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
The 有 (yǒu) Sentence Questions
How do I make 有 negative?
Always with 没有 — 我没有钱 (I have no money). 有 is the one verb that never combines with 不, so 不有 is always wrong.
What is the difference between 有 and 是 for "there is"?
有 says something exists at a place (桌上有书 — there's a book on the table). 是 identifies or equates (桌上的是我的书 — the thing on the table is mine). Use 有 for existence, 是 for identity.
Where does the place go in an existence sentence?
First: place + 有 + thing — 房间里有一张床 (there's a bed in the room). Don't copy English "there is..." order by starting with 有.
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.
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Construction index and function chapters relevant to 有
Supports the learner-facing account of where 有 appears and what communicative job it performs.
Official sourceChinese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd ed.
Yip and Rimmington · Routledge · 2016
Locator: Relevant sentence and clause chapters for 有
Cross-checks the Subject or Place + 有 + Object (have) pattern, clause relationship, and limits represented by the reviewed examples.
Official sourceChinese 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, Level 1 grammar inventory
Supports directory placement at HSK 1; it does not independently prove usage rules.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Compare
放着Existential Sentences
Contrast plain 有 sentences with the verb-plus着 form that describes an entity's position.
Easy to confuse
又/再又 (yòu) vs 再 (zài): Again
Distinguish 有 introducing existence from 在 locating an already-known entity.
Continue learning
有的是Plenty with 有的是
Continue from plain 有 to quantity and subset expressions built around 有.
Continue learning
存现句：表示存在Existential Sentences: Presence
Apply the focused official existence subtype after reviewing the broad 有 pattern.
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Compare
Contrast plain 有 sentences with the verb-plus着 form that describes an entity's position.