HSK Guide

不 bù — not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)

bù (fourth tone, falling)bu4

not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)

HSK 1· HSK 1–4 (classic)Level 1· Three-band, nine-level standardadverb
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Meanings

  1. not (negates verbs, adjectives and modal verbs)

    The default negator, placed directly before what it negates. It covers habits, present states, intentions and the future; completed past actions are negated with 没(有) instead.

    adverb

  2. no (short negative reply)

    adverbspoken

Character breakdown

  • 不
    bù (fourth tone, falling)

    not, no — the general negative, placed before verbs and adjectives

    4 strokesRadical 一

Example sentences

  • 我不喝茶。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) hē (first tone, high and level) chá. (second tone, rising)···

    I don’t drink tea.

  • 他不是我的老师。他不是我的老師。Tā (first tone, high and level) bú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) lǎoshī. (third tone, dipping)···

    He isn’t my teacher.

Common mistakes

  • Not quite昨天我不吃饭。

    Correct昨天我没吃饭。

    不 denies a habit, a state or an intention. To say an action did not happen, use 没(有). 我不吃饭 means "I don’t eat / won’t eat", not "I didn’t eat".

  • Not quitebù shì

    Correctbú shì

    不 is pronounced bú (second tone) whenever the next syllable carries a fourth tone: bú shì, bú kàn, bú qù. Before all other tones it stays bù.

Words containing 不