Grammar · Early beginner · 20 pages
Say No, Not Yet & What You Prefer in Mandarin
Choose among 不, 没有, 还没, 别, and 不要, then make a simple preference or polite refusal without translating every English ‘not’ the same way.
Download free PDFNo signup. No email form. Version 1.0, updated 2026-08-26.
What’s inside
- A five-pattern negation map
- 不 versus 没有 drills
- 还没 for not-yet situations
- 别 and 不要 for negative commands
- Want, do not want, and preference frames
- Polite refusal softeners
- A changed-detail choice dialogue
- Complete answers and accepted alternatives
What you’ll practice
- Use 不 for common habits, descriptions, intentions, and future choices
- Use 没 or 没有 for non-occurrence and lack of possession
- Use 还没 to say that an expected action has not happened yet
- Recognize 别 and 不要 as negative commands
- State a simple want, non-want, or preference and soften a refusal when appropriate
Sample lines
- 我不喝咖啡。 · Wǒ bù hē kāfēi. · I don't drink coffee. (不 fits a habit or general choice.)
- 我还没吃饭。 · Wǒ hái méi chīfàn. · I haven't eaten yet. (还没 says an expected action has not happened up to now.)
- 我想要茶，不要咖啡。 · Wǒ xiǎng yào chá, bú yào kāfēi. · I'd like tea, not coffee. (Written 不 stays the same even when its spoken tone changes before a fourth tone.)
Frequently asked questions
Is 不 for the present and 没 for the past?
That shortcut helps only partly. 不 commonly negates habits, descriptions, intentions, and future choices. 没 negates occurrence and 没有 also means ‘not have.’ The meaning of the verb and situation matters.
What is the difference between 没 and 没有?
没有 is the full form. Before many action verbs, 有 can be omitted: 我没吃 and 我没有吃 can both mean ‘I didn't eat.’ For possession or existence, use 没有: 我没有时间.
Can I use 不要 for both ‘do not’ and ‘do not want’?
Yes, context distinguishes them. 我不要咖啡 means ‘I don't want coffee’; 不要走 can be a command meaning ‘don't leave.’
Why is 不 sometimes written bù but pronounced bú?
Before a fourth-tone syllable, 不 normally changes from fourth tone to second tone in speech. The character remains 不.
Keep practicing
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The grammar scope is limited to high-frequency beginner contrasts verified against university materials; pragmatic examples are framed as useful defaults rather than universal social rules.