不
bùNot; no; non-
我不去
I won't go
不开心
Not happy
Often used as a negative prefix in Chinese, equivalent to 'not' in English.
Cannot; unable to
我不懂
I don't understand
我不想去
I don't want to go
Used to express inability or unwillingness.
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Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Negation in Chinese
'不' is the most common way to negate a verb in Chinese. Unlike English, Chinese does not use 'do not' or 'does not' constructions.
⚡Gold Rule
Position in Sentence
'不' is placed directly before the verb it negates. For example, '我不吃' (I don't eat) and '我不喝' (I don't drink).
📖Word Origin
The character '不' is one of the most basic and ancient Chinese characters, originally representing a crossroads or a fork in the road, symbolizing negation or refusal.
📝Usage Notes
'不' is a versatile negative adverb in Chinese, often used to negate verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It can also be used as a prefix to form negative words.