A single character can turn a blunt prohibition into a polite request. In Mandarin, 不要 (búyào) placed before a verb tells someone firmly not to do something — but adding 请 (qǐng) at the front softens it into something you'd say to a stranger.
The structure is simple: 不要 + Verb. Place 不要 directly before any verb to say "don't do that."
The first and third examples are direct and strong. The second shows how 请 softens the same pattern into a polite request you'd use in public or with people you don't know well.
This HSK 2 speaking lesson targets one grammar pattern — Prohibitions and Strong 'Don't' — and takes about 10 minutes. You talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time, not by typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level.
By the end, you can tell someone not to do something, like "Don't look at your phone!" and politely ask people to stop. You can reinforce what you learn with the free printable Chinese worksheet generator. For another way to give negative commands, try another HSK 2 live lesson on 别 (bié) — negative commands. Ready for more? Move on to an HSK 2 live lesson on 更 (gèng) — expressing "even more". You can also browse more HSK 2 lessons.
不要 (búyào) means "don't" and is used for prohibitions and strong negative commands. You place it directly before any verb to tell someone not to do something, like 不要看手机！ (búyào kàn shǒujī!) — "Don't look at your phone!" Adding 请 at the start makes it polite.
Both 不要 (búyào) and 别 (bié) express negative commands. This lesson, "Saying Don't," focuses on 不要 (búyào) for Prohibitions and Strong 'Don't.' You can also try the live lesson on 别 (bié) for another way to give negative commands.
This live conversation lesson targets one grammar pattern — Prohibitions and Strong 'Don't' — and takes about 10 minutes. You practice speaking out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin, who corrects your grammar and pronunciation in real time as you use 不要 in conversation.
Yes — the first lesson can be tried free. You talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in a real-time voice conversation, and she adapts to your level as you practice using 不要 to tell someone not to do something.