méiyǒu: 没有 - Don't Have, Not Have, There isn't

• Keywords: meiyou, 没有, mei you, how to use meiyou, meiyou vs bu, Chinese negation, Chinese for 'don't have', Chinese for 'there isn't', what does meiyou mean, HSK 1 grammar, basic Chinese words
• Summary: “没有” (méiyǒu) is one of the most fundamental words in Mandarin Chinese, primarily meaning “to not have” or “there is not.” For beginners, it's the essential tool for negating possession (I don't have money), existence (There are no people), and any action that did not happen in the past (I didn't eat). Understanding the difference between “没有” and its counterpart “不” (bù) is a critical step towards speaking natural and grammatically correct Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): méiyǒu
• Part of Speech: Adverb, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: To not have; there is not; did not (do something).
• In a Nutshell: “没有” is your go-to negation word for three key situations. First, it's the direct opposite of “有” (yǒu - to have), used to say you don't possess something. Second, it's used to state that something doesn't exist in a place. Third, and crucially, it's used to say an action did not happen in the past. If you want to say you “didn't do” something, you use “没有,” not “不.”

• 没 (méi): The left part (氵) is the “water” radical. The right part gives the sound. The original meaning relates to sinking or being submerged under water, hence the idea of “disappearing,” “lacking,” or “not having.”
• 有 (yǒu): This character is often depicted as a hand (又) holding a piece of meat (月, a modern form of 肉). This pictograph directly represents the act of possession or “to have.”

When combined, `没有` (méiyǒu) literally means “not have.” The character `没` acts as the specific negative particle for the verb `有`. In many informal cases, the `有` is dropped, and `没` is used by itself to mean the same thing.

While “没有” is a grammatical function word, its usage highlights a key difference in logic between Chinese and English. In English, we use a single word, “not” (or its contractions like “don't,” “didn't”), to negate almost everything. Chinese, however, splits this job primarily between two words: `不 (bù)` and `没有 (méiyǒu)`. Think of it like this:

• `没有` denies objective reality and facts. It negates things that are concrete: possession (“I don't have a car”), existence (“There is no coffee”), and completed actions in the past (“I didn't go yesterday”). These things are factual and verifiable.
• `不 (bù)` denies intention, opinion, or habit. It negates subjective states: feelings (“I'm not happy”), inherent qualities (“This is not good”), and future or habitual actions (“I don't drink alcohol,” “I'm not going tomorrow”).

This distinction forces a learner to think more precisely about *what* they are negating—a past fact or a present/future intention? This is less a deep cultural value and more a fundamental “cultural logic” embedded within the language's structure. Mastering this is a key step in moving from thinking in English to thinking in Chinese.

“没有” is used constantly in everyday life. Here are its main functions: 1. Negating Possession (To not have) This is the most direct meaning. It's the opposite of `有 (yǒu)`. `我没有时间。(Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.)` - “I don't have time.” `他没有女朋友。(Tā méiyǒu nǚpéngyou.)` - “He doesn't have a girlfriend.” 2. Negating Existence (There isn't / There aren't) Used to state that something is not present in a location. `这里没有人。(Zhèlǐ méiyǒu rén.)` - “There's no one here.” `咖啡馆里没有WiFi。(Kāfēiguǎn lǐ méiyǒu WiFi.)` - “There is no WiFi in the cafe.” 3. Negating Past Actions (Did not) This is a critical grammar point. To say something didn't happen in the past, you must use “没有”. In this context, it's often shortened to just “没”. `我昨天没去上班。(Wǒ zuótiān méi qù shàngbān.)` - “I didn't go to work yesterday.” `他没有告诉我。(Tā méiyǒu gàosu wǒ.)` - “He didn't tell me.” 4. In “Have you…?” Questions The `…有没有? (…yǒu méiyǒu?)` structure is a very common way to form yes/no questions about possession or existence. `你有没有钱？(Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu qián?)` - “Do you have money?” `附近有没有地铁站？(Fùjìn yǒu méiyǒu dìtiězhàn?)` - “Is there a subway station nearby?”

• Example 1:
  • 我没有钱。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ méiyǒu qián.
  • English: I don't have money.
  • Analysis: This is the most basic use of “没有” to negate possession. It's a simple, factual statement.
• Example 2:
  • 他昨天没有来上课。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuótiān méiyǒu lái shàngkè.
  • English: He didn't come to class yesterday.
  • Analysis: Here, “没有” is used to negate a past action (“come to class”). Using `不 (bù)` here would be a major grammatical error.
• Example 3:
  • 你有没有兄弟姐妹？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi?
  • English: Do you have any siblings?
  • Analysis: This shows the `有/没有` question structure, which is equivalent to asking `你有兄弟姐妹吗? (Nǐ yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma?)`.
• Example 4:
  • 房间里没有空调。
  • Pinyin: Fángjiān lǐ méiyǒu kōngtiáo.
  • English: There is no air conditioner in the room.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates “没有” being used to state the non-existence of an object in a specific place.
• Example 5:
  • 对不起，我没有听清楚。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ méiyǒu tīng qīngchu.
  • English: Sorry, I didn't hear clearly.
  • Analysis: A polite and practical phrase. It negates the past action of “hearing clearly.” Note that the verb here is two characters (`听清楚`).
• Example 6:
  • 我还没吃饭呢。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ hái méi chīfàn ne.
  • English: I haven't eaten yet.
  • Analysis: This example introduces `还 (hái)`, meaning “still” or “yet.” The combination `还没 (hái méi)` is extremely common for “haven't… yet.” Notice the colloquial shortening of `没有` to `没`.
• Example 7:
  • 这件事我真的没有办法。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn shì wǒ zhēnde méiyǒu bànfǎ.
  • English: Regarding this matter, I really have no solution / can't do anything about it.
  • Analysis: `没有办法 (méiyǒu bànfǎ)` is a set phrase meaning “to have no method” or “there's nothing that can be done.” It's a common way to express helplessness.
• Example 8:
  • 他看起来没有不高兴。
  • Pinyin: Tā kànqǐlái méiyǒu bù gāoxìng.
  • English: He doesn't look unhappy.
  • Analysis: A more complex sentence showing a double negative. `不高兴` means “unhappy.” `没有不高兴` means “not unhappy,” implying he is either neutral or happy. This structure is logical but can be tricky for learners.
• Example 9:
  • 如果你没有问题，我们就继续。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ méiyǒu wèntí, wǒmen jiù jìxù.
  • English: If you don't have questions, we'll continue.
  • Analysis: Shows “没有” used in a conditional “if” clause (`如果…`). It's negating the possession of “questions.”
• Example 10:
  • 没有共产党就没有新中国。
  • Pinyin: Méiyǒu Gòngchǎndǎng jiù méiyǒu Xīn Zhōngguó.
  • English: Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China.
  • Analysis: This is a famous political slogan in China. It uses “没有… 就没有…” to create a cause-and-effect structure: “Without X, there is no Y.” It demonstrates the word's use in formal, powerful statements.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing `没有 (méiyǒu)` with `不 (bù)`.

• Mistake 1: Using `不` to negate possession.
  • Incorrect: 我不有车。(Wǒ bù yǒu chē.)
  • Correct: 我没有车。(Wǒ méiyǒu chē.)
  • Reason: The verb `有 (yǒu)` is special. It can only be negated by `没 (méi)`. Never use `不` with `有`.
• Mistake 2: Using `不` to negate a past action.
  • Incorrect: 我昨天不上班。(Wǒ zuótiān bù shàngbān.) This sounds like you are stating a general habit or refusal that happened to be yesterday, which is awkward. It can mean “Yesterday, I refused to go to work.”
  • Correct: 我昨天没有上班。(Wǒ zuótiān méiyǒu shàngbān.)
  • Reason: `没有` is for actions that did not occur in the past. `不` is for present habits (`我不喝酒` - I don't drink alcohol) or future intentions (`我明天不去` - I'm not going tomorrow).
• Mistake 3: Using `了 (le)` with `没有`.
  • Incorrect: 我没有去了。(Wǒ méiyǒu qù le.)
  • Correct: 我没有去。(Wǒ méiyǒu qù.)
  • Reason: The particle `了 (le)` marks a completed action or change of state. `没有` already establishes that the action was *not* completed. Therefore, adding `了` is redundant and grammatically wrong.

• 有 (yǒu) - The direct antonym of `没有`. It means “to have,” “to possess,” or “there is/are.”
• 不 (bù) - The other primary negation word. Used to negate states, qualities, and present/future actions. The single most important term to contrast with `没有`.
• 无 (wú) - A more formal and literary character meaning “without” or “not have.” Often used in compound words like `无聊 (wúliáo)` - boring, or `免费 (miǎnfèi)` - free of charge (literally “exempt from fee”).
• 别 (bié) - A negative command, meaning “don't…!” Used to tell someone not to do something. Example: `别说话 (bié shuōhuà)` - Don't talk!
• 没事 (méi shì) - A very common colloquial phrase using `没`. It literally means “have no matter” and is used to say “it's nothing,” “no problem,” or “I'm fine.”
• 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) - A set phrase meaning “there's no way” or “nothing can be done.” It expresses an inability to solve a problem.
• 意思 (yìsi) - Often used with `没有` in the phrase `没有意思 (méiyǒu yìsi)`, which means “boring” or “uninteresting.”
• 关系 (guānxi) - You can say `我们没有关系 (wǒmen méiyǒu guānxi)` to mean “we don't have a relationship” or “it has nothing to do with us.”
• ...了没有 (…le méiyǒu?) - A common question pattern used to ask “Have you… yet?” For example, `你吃饭了没有? (Nǐ chīfàn le méiyǒu?)` - “Have you eaten yet?”