NEGATING INFORMATION

23

Negating information

23.1Negation of verbs and verb phrases

The words that are used to negate verbs and verb phrases in Mandarin are bù andméi. bù and méi immediately precede the verb or anything that precedes and modifies the verb, including an adverb, a location phrase, or any other prepositional phrase.

!"[negation + verb]

Tp bù hQ jio.

He doesn’t drink (alcohol).

!"#$%[negation + adverb]

Tp bù yRdìng kkodehko.

It is not certain that he will do well on the exam. (He may not do well on the exam.)

	!"#$[negation + location prepositional phrase]
	!"#$

Tp bù zài jiP chr fàn.

He doesn’t eat at home.

!!"#$[negation + prepositional phrase]

!!"#$

Tp méi gQn dìdi shus huà.

She didn’t speak with younger brother.

In addition to the primary role of bù and méi as markers of negation, they often serve to identify the aspect and time frame of events.

Í13.3, 33.4

23.1.1bù

bù is the marker of negation for

• adjectival verbs, stative verbs, and modal verbs:

!(adjectival verb)

Mèimei bù gPo.

Younger sister is not tall.

146

Negation of verbs and verb phrases

23.1

!"#(stative verb)

!"#

Wn bù xMhuan tp.

I don’t like him.

!"#$%&'()(modal verb)!"#$%&'()

Shíliù suì de háizi bù kéyM hq jio.

16-year-old children are not allowed to drink.

Í10.1, 11.1, 12.6.1

• action verbs describing present, future, or habitual events:

!"

Tp bù chR ròu.

He does not eat meat.

!"#!"#

Wn bù xué Fáyo.

I don’t study French.

Í13.3

23.1.2méi and méi yNu

méi is the negation word that negates the verb ynu.

!"!"

Tp méi ynu qián.

He doesn’t have any money.

!"#$!"#$

Gsngyuán lm méi ynu rén.

There are no people in the park.

In addition, méi (or méi ynu) negates action verbs under the following conditions:

The action is not complete

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wn hái méi kànwán nà bln sht.

I still haven’t finished reading that book.

The action did not happen in the past

!"#$%!"#$%

Wn zuótipn méi chr wknfàn.

Yesterday, I didn’t eat dinner.

147

NEGATING INFORMATION

23.2

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wn zhège yuè dsu méi kàn diànymng.

This month I haven’t seen a movie.

When negation occurs at the end of the sentence in verb-not-verb questions, méi must be followed by ynu.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Nm kànwán le nà bln sht méi ynu?

Have you finished reading that book?

Í13.3, 33.3

23.2The relative order of negation and adverbs

Here are some general rules for the relative order of negation and adverbs. The adverbs are emphasized in each example.

• Most adverbs occur before negation.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Nà bln sht, wn hái méi kànwán.

That book, I have not yet finished reading it.

!"#$%&' !()*!"#$%&' !()*

Wn xmhuan chr Zhsngguó fàn, jiù bù xmhuan chr hkishqn.

I like to eat Chinese food; I just don’t like to eat sea slugs.

!"#$%%&!"#$%%&

Tp yéxO bù rènshi nm mèimei.

Perhaps he doesn’t know your younger sister.

•A small number of adverbs may occur either before or after negation. The order of negation and adverb influences the meaning of the sentence.

!"#$%!"#$%

Wnmen dSu bù huì kpi chq.

We all cannot drive (a car).

!"#$%&'"(&' "%!"#$%&'"(&' "%

Wnmen bù dSu huì kpi chq. Ynu de huì, ynu de bù huì.

Not all of us can drive a car. Some can, some can’t.

!"#

Wn yRdìng bù qù.

I am definitely not going.

148

bù in resultative verb structures

23.4

!"#

Wn bù yRdìng qù.

I am not definitely going. (I may not go.)

Í15.1

23.3Words that occur with negation

23.3.1Adverbs that occur with negation

Certain adverbs always occur with negation or in negative contexts. These include:

/ cónglái (+ negation) ‘never’

!"#$%!"#$%

Wn cónglái méi chsuguo ypn.

I’ve never smoked cigarettes.

gQnbLn (+ negation) ‘absolutely not’

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Nà yàng de huà gqnbln méi ynu dàoli.

That kind of talk makes no sense.

/ bìng (+ negation) ‘absolutely (not)’

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Wn bìng bù yuànyi gqn tp yrqm zhù.

I am absolutely not willing to live with him. (I am not at all willing to live with him.)

Í31.3

23.3.2The noun modifier rènhé and negation

rènhé ‘any’

!"#$%!"#$%

Wn méi gàosu rènhé rén.

I didn’t tell anyone.

23.4bù in resultative verb structures

bù occurs between the verb and the resultative suffix to indicate inability to achieve the result. Here are some examples.

	chRwán ‘finish eating’
		!"
		Wn chrbuwán.
		I am unable to finish eating (the food).
	149

NEGATING INFORMATION

23.5

kànjian ‘see, perceive’

!"#$%&'()*+,-'!"#$%&'()*+,-'

Zhège diànymng de zìmù tài xiko. Wn gqnbln kànbujiàn.

The subtitles in this movie are too small. I can’t see them at all.

/ tRngdNng ‘understand by listening’

!"#$%&'#!"#$%&'#

Tp shusde tài kuài. Wn trngbudnng.

He speaks too quickly. I can’t understand (by listening).

Í28.2

23.5Literary markers of negation: wú and fQi

The literary markers of negation wú and fqi occur in modern Mandarin as components of words. The following are commonly used words which include wú and fqi.

Expressions with wú

/	wúlùn	no matter what
!/ !	wúlùn rú hé in any case, no matter what
/	wúbm	incomparable
/	wúgù	without reason; for no reason
/	wúlm	unreasonable; for no reason
/	háowú	not in the least, not at all

!"!#$%&'"!(!"!#$%&'"!(

Wúlùn nm qù bù qù shàng kè, wn yl bù qù.

Whether or not you go to class, I am not going.

!"#$%&'()!"#$%&'()

Nm wúlùn rúhé dli bpng wn zhège máng.

No matter what, you have to help me with this matter.

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Xiàwqiyí de fqngjmng mlilì wúbm.

The scenery of Hawaii is so beautiful that no place can match it.

!"#"$%&'!"#"$%&'

Nm wèi shénme wúyuán wúgù dk rén?

Why do you hit people for no reason at all?

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Nm zhè zhqn shì wúlm qonào.

You are really picking a fight for no reason.

150

Literary markers of negation: wú and fQi

23.5

!"#$%&'()*+,!"#$%&'()*+,

Háowú yí wèn, tp shì yr gè hln hko de xuésheng.

No doubt at all; she is a very good student.

Q:	!"#$	A:	!"
	!"#$		!"
Nm míngtipn néng lái ma?		Háowú wèntí.
Are you able to come tomorrow?		No problem.

Expressions with fQi

(verb phrase)	fqi (verb phrase) bù kl	must (verb phrase)
	fqidli	must
	fqifán	outstanding
	fqifk	illegal
	fqicháng	extraordinary, extremely

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Wn fqi bk Zhsngwén xué hko bù kl.

I must master Chinese.

!"#$%&'()*!"#$%&'()*

Nm jrntipn xiàwo fqi dli bk gsngkè zuòwán.

You must finish your homework this afternoon.

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Zhè cì de qìngzhù huì lóngzhòng fqifán.

This celebration was extraordinarily ceremonious.

!"#$%& '!"#$%& '

Fqifk de shqngyì wn bù huì zuò de.

I will never do any illegal business.

!"#$%

Tp de Yrngwén fqicháng hko.

His English is extremely good.

151