Say I Dont Know What You Are Saying in Mandarin

If you're new to Mandarin, chances are y'all desire to acquire some bones Chinese words and phrases. After " hello " and "my name is," learning to say "no" in Chinese should be about the top of your listing. Read this article to discover x ways to refuse someone with style. When it comes to reading this commodity, only don't say no (🔈 不要 bùyào)!

Table of Contents

• No Directly Translation
• 10 Ways to Say "No" in Chinese
  • ane. 不是 | bùshì | no; is non; non be
  • 2. 不 | bù | no
  • iii. 不对 | bùduì | wrong; non correct
  • 4. 不行 | bùxíng | not ok; not alright
  • v. 不可以 | bù kěyǐ | may not; cannot
  • half dozen. 不可能 | bù kěnéng | non possible
  • 7. 不用 | bùyòng | no utilise; no demand
  • 8. 没有 | méiyǒu | don't take; have not; no
  • ix. 不好意思 | bùhǎoyìsi | my bad; deplorable
  • 10. "No" in other situations
• Just Say No!
• Essential Vocabulary for Saying No in Chinese

No Direct Translation

Saying "no" is an essential conversational skill. That's peculiarly true in China, where you're likely to receive all sorts of offers (both well-meaning and not-so-well-significant) to buy and do all sorts of things:

Desire to teach English language at the shady underground English preparation school downwards the street? (No.) Want to visit a nice Chinese teahouse on Nanjing Road? (No.) Want to buy this LV bag? I promise it'southward authentic! (No.)

So how do you say "no" in Chinese? Unfortunately, there'due south no direct Chinese translation for the simple English language "no." In full general, the Chinese words or phrases needed to express negation vary depending on the situation.

Although this might sound intimidating, it's helpful to remember that the ways we say "no" in English are besides somewhat dependent on context. For example, we have various different words or phrases, like "no style," "impossible" and even "cypher doing" which can be used in identify of "no" when we want to reject to practise something.

Knowing more than only ane or two ways to say "no" is a great way to assist make your Chinese sound more than accurate. Check out the following list of ten means to say "no" in Chinese for some ideas.

There's no direct translation for the English "no" in Chinese.

ten Ways to Say "No" in Chinese

1. 不是 | bùshì | no; is not; not be

Ane of the near mutual ways to say "yes" in Chinese is 是 (shì, to be). Therefore, it should come as no surprise that negating 是 (shì) by calculation 不 (bù, not; no) is 1 mode to say "no" in Chinese.

When you say 不是 (bùshì), you are literally proverb "not be."

Commonly, 不是 (bùshì) is used when disagreeing with or disputing the truth of something someone else has said. If someone asks you a question with the intention of confirming a fact, you tin can answer with 不是 (bùshì) to indicate that what they've said isn't true.

For instance:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你是美国人吗？	Nǐ shì Měiguórén ma?	Are you American?
B:	不是。	Bùshì.	No, I'g not.

不是的 (bùshìde) is another phrase that can be used to say "no" in Chinese. It sounds a bit more than breezy than 不是 (bùshì), but the two are used in almost the same mode and are more or less interchangeable.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	这个礼物是给宝宝的吗？	Zhège lǐwù shì gěi bǎobǎo de ma?	Is this souvenir for the baby?
B:	不是的。	Bùshìde.	No, it isn't.

Annotation that the characters 不 (bù) and 是 (shì) by themselves are both pronounced using a fourth (falling) tone. Nevertheless, when the tone of the character that follows 不 (bù) is also a fourth tone, and then 不 will experience a tone alter which will cause it to temporarily adopt the second (ascension) tone. Therefore, fifty-fifty though the pinyin for 不是 is written bùshì, the phrase should actually exist pronounced "búshì."

Learning to say "no" in Chinese is an essential skill that makes everyday life in China much easier.

two. 不 | bù | no

If you search for the Chinese equivalent of the English word "no" in a pop Chinese dictionary like Pleco , chances are that the first entry yous meet will be 不 (bù). Although native speakers volition understand that you hateful "no" if you respond to every question with a unproblematic 不 (bù), doing so volition not make you audio very authentic.

It's possible to respond to some questions using only 不 (bù), simply native speakers don't do so very often. Using only 不 (bù) to respond sounds quite sharp and even aroused. People are nearly probable to answer with a simple 不 (bù) when they are very unhappy with the person they're speaking to and would prefer not to talk to them at all.

For example, imagine that person A in the following dialogue is a female parent trying to make upward with her teenage daughter (person B) with whom she's just been fighting. The mother tries to make a squeamish suggestion that they go for a walk together simply the daughter is however aroused and responds abruptly, indicating that she isn't set up to brand up with her mom:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	要不要出去走一走？	Yào bù yào chūqù zǒu yī zǒu?	Would you like to become for a walk?
B:	不！	Bù!	No!

    Bù!

3. 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; non right

In Chinese, 对 (duì) means "right" or "correct." Calculation 不 (bù) in front of 对 (duì) allows yous to say that something is "not right" or "incorrect." In general, yous tin can apply 不对 (bùduì) when you lot don't concur with someone's opinion or with a argument that they have made.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	我觉得中国的古镇都很漂亮。	Wǒ juédé Zhōngguó de gǔzhèn dōu hěn piàoliang.	I think all ancient Chinese cities are beautiful.
B:	不对，现在有一些很商业化。	Bùduì, yǒu yīxiē hěn shāngyèhuà.	No, some of them are really touristy.

Note that since 对 (duì) is pronounced with a falling tone, the pronunciation of 不 (bù) changes to a rising tone when placed in front of 对 (duì). Thus, even though the official pinyin is still written as bùduì, you should pronounce it as "búduì."

In Red china, everyday interactions provide a host of opportunities to practice the art of proverb "no."

4. 不行 | bùxíng | not ok; non alright

行 (xíng) ways "OK" or "all correct" in Chinese. As with 不是 (bùshì) and 不对 (bùduì) to a higher place, adding 不 (bù) in front of 行 (xíng) turns information technology into a negative.

不行 (bùxíng) can be roughly translated as "not OK" or "non all right."

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你的车子借我一下？	Nǐ de chēzi jiè wǒ yīxià?	Can you lend me your machine?
B:	不行。	Bùxíng.	No.

Unlike 对 (duì) and 不 (bù), which are pronounced with falling tones, 行 (xíng) is pronounced with a rising tone. Therefore, the pronunciation of 不 (bù) does non change when the ii are paired together.

5. 不可以 | bù kěyǐ | may not; cannot

不可以 (bù kěyǐ) is another phrase that tin can be used to say "no" in Chinese. It consists of 可以 (kěyǐ), which can exist translated as "can" or "may," and the negative character 不 (bù).

Taken together, the phrase 不可以 (bù kěyǐ) tin be literally translated equally "not can" or "not may." It's used in essentially the same way as the English language "may not" or "can't" when responding negatively to a request or question.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	这里可以拍照吗？	Zhèlǐ kěyǐ pāizhào ma?	Can I take photos hither?
B:	不可以。	Bù kěyǐ.	No, yous can't.

不可以 is a skillful way to express the fact that something isn't immune.

6. 不可能 | bù kěnéng | not possible

Want a stronger negative answer? Look no farther than 不可能 (bù kěnéng). This phrase consists of the negative character 不 (bù), followed by 可能 (kěnéng), which in Chinese ways "perhaps" or "perhaps." Add them together, and you get 不可能 (bù kěnéng), which means "not possible," "impossible" or "no style."

Use 不可能 (bù kěnéng) when you lot want to let someone know that whatever they have said is completely out of the question or completely impossible.

For case:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	听说你要结婚了。	Tīng shuō nǐ yào jiéhūn le.	I heard you lot're going to get married.
B:	不可能，我都没有男朋友。	Bù kěnéng, wǒ dōu méiyǒu nánpéngyǒu.	No, that'due south impossible, I don't fifty-fifty have a swain.

Note that the meaning of 不可能 (bù kěnéng) can change depending on the context in which it is used. When used to respond negatively to a asking, 不可能 (bù kěnéng) sounds quite harsh and severe.

Responding to a request with 不可能 (bù kěnéng) indicates that you are non only refusing the request, but are also unhappy that the asking was made and consider the request inappropriate.

For case:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English language
A:	你可以把信用卡借给我吗？	Nǐ kěyǐ bǎ xìnyòngkǎ jiè gěi wǒ ma?	Tin you lend me your credit card?
B:	不可能。	Bù kěnéng.	No mode.

7. 不用 | bùyòng | no employ; no need

If you are looking for a polite way to say "no" to someone's offer, 不用 (bùyòng) is the phrase for you lot. Although 不用 (bùyòng) as well contains 不 (bù), its meaning is hard to approximate using its component parts.

用 (yòng) in Chinese means "to use," and then 不用 (bùyòng) could be translated literally as "not apply" or "no utilise." However, this literal translation doesn't shed much light on its actual significant, which is "no thanks." In general, 不用 (bùyòng) is used to indicate polite refusal.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你需要帮忙吗？	Nǐ xūyào bāngmáng ma?	Exercise you demand help?
B:	不用。	Bùyòng.	No, thanks.

In most cases where 不用 (bùyòng) is used, it tin likewise exist repeated, as in 不用，不用 (bùyòng, bùyòng). Repeating the phrase twice makes your response sound milder and more indirect than it would if you just used a single 不用 (bùyòng).

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	我送你回去吧。	Wǒ sòng nǐ huíqù ba.	Allow me take you abode.
B:	不用，不用。	Bùyòng, bùyòng.	No, cheers.

Notation that since 用 (yòng) is pronounced with a falling tone, the phrase 不用 (bùyòng) is really pronounced "búyòng."

不用 is a proficient mode to refuse someone'due south offer of help with finesse.

8. 没有 | méiyǒu | don't have; accept not; no

Unlike all of the other ways to say "no" in Chinese that nosotros've discussed and then far, 没有 (méiyǒu) does non contain the character 不 (bù). Don't allow this fact fool yous, though. 没有 (méiyǒu) is actually one of the most ordinarily used ways to say "no" in Mandarin.

If we break 没有 (méiyǒu) into its component parts, we go 没 (méi), which ways "not" and (yǒu), which is a verb meaning "to have." Thus, the literal translation of 没有 (méiyǒu) is "not take." Unsurprisingly, one of the ways 没有 (méiyǒu) is used is to tell someone that you don't take something.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你有笔记本电脑吗？	Nǐ yǒu bǐjìběn diànnǎo ma?	Exercise you have a laptop?
B:	没有。	Méiyǒu.	No (I don't).

In improver to existence used to talk about what yous don't take, you lot can likewise use 没有 (méiyǒu) to talk well-nigh things that oasis't happened yet or that you oasis't done nevertheless.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你吃过臭豆腐吗？	Nǐ chīguò chòudòufu ma?	Have you ever eaten stinky tofu?
B:	没有。	Méiyǒu.	No (I haven't).

没有 is a usually used manner to say "no, I haven't" in Chinese.

ix. 不好意思 | bùhǎoyìsi | my bad; sorry

If you want to refuse someone'southward request in a polite manner, consider using 不好意思 (bùhǎoyìsi) or 抱歉 (bàoqiàn). Both of these phrases mean "lamentable."

To utilize these phrases correctly, be certain to pair them with the reason why you can't practice whatever was requested.

For example:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	今天要去逛街吗？	Jīntiān yào qù guàngjiē ma?	Want to go window-shopping today?
B:	不好意思，我今天没时间。	Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ jīntiān méi shíjiān.	No, sorry, I don't have time today.

抱歉 (bàoqiàn) sounds somewhat more direct and formal than 不好意思 (bùhǎoyìsi) and is more than likely to exist used in more formal contexts like at piece of work.

For instance:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	我们明天可以约个时间讨论吗？	Wǒmen míngtiān kěyǐ yuē gè shíjiān tǎolùn ma?	Can we prepare up a time to discuss this tomorrow?
B:	抱歉，我明天不在办公室。	Bàoqiàn, wǒ míngtiān bùzài bàngōngshì.	No, I'm sorry, I won't be at the function tomorrow.

x. "No" in other situations

Perhaps the nearly common way to say "no" in Chinese is to only utilize 不 (bù) to negate the most important verb or adjective in the question that yous've been asked.

Note that using this method usually requires y'all to have some existing basic Chinese vocabulary then that you can identify the key words in the question and respond appropriately.

Check out the examples below to see how this method works with some common Chinese verbs and adjectives that you're probable to see:

Case 1:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English language
A:	你会用筷子吗？	Nǐ huì yòng kuàizi ma?	Tin you use chopsticks?
B:	不会。	Bù huì.	No, I tin can't.

Example 2:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你要吃鸡爪吗？	Nǐ yào chī jīzhuǎ ma?	Do yous want to swallow some chicken feet?
B:	不要。	Bùyào.	No, I don't (want to).

Example iii:

Speaker	汉字	Pinyin	English
A:	你喜欢这件衣服吗？	Nǐ xǐhuān zhè jiàn yīfú ma?	Exercise you like this piece of clothing?
B:	不喜欢。	Bù xǐhuān.	No, I don't (like it).

Just Say No!

Learning to say "no" is an important skill that every kickoff Chinese pupil needs to master.

Since refusing someone's suggestion or request can easily cause criminal offence, it's especially important that you chief the nuanced differences between each of the unlike ways to say "no" in Chinese that we've presented here. Doing then volition assistance yous avoid unintentionally hurting anyone's feelings.

One of the best means to really get a experience for which words work best in which contexts is total immersion in a Chinese speaking environment.

However, if it isn't possible for you lot to travel to China now, consider creating your own online language immersion environment by watching TV shows in Chinese . Finding native Chinese speakers to communicate with online is as well a great way to hone your understanding of how language use varies according to context.

If you've had plenty when it comes to learning how to decline requests, why not check out our article on how to say "yes" in Chinese ?

好好学习，天天向上！

Mastering the different means to say "no" in Chinese is a neat fashion to make your Chinese sound authentic.

Essential Vocabulary for Maxim No in Chinese

Hànzì	Pīnyīn	Definition
不是	bùshì (pronounced "búshì")	no/wrong
不是的	bùshìde (pronounced "búshìde")	no/wrong
不	bù	no (abrupt, can be impolite)
不对	bùduì (pronounced "búduì")	no/incorrect
不行	bùxíng	no (can be impolite)
不可以	bù kěyǐ	no, [yous] can't/may non
不可能	bù kěnéng	impossible/no way (can exist impolite)
不用	bùyòng (pronounced "búyòng")	no, thanks (polite)
没有	méiyǒu	no
不好意思	bù hǎoyìsi + explanation	sorry (polite)
抱歉	bàoqiàn + explanation	deplorable (polite)
不会	bùhuì (pronounced "búhuì")	No, [I] tin can't
不要	bù yào (pronounced "búyào")	No, [I] don't want to/don't want it
不喜欢	bù xǐhuān	No, [I] don't similar it

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Source: https://studycli.org/learn-chinese/no-in-chinese/

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