HSK 1
没 V O
méi V O
have not V'ed O
Structure
Subject + 没 + Verb + Object
How it works
The word '没' (méi) is used to negate actions that happened in the past or to indicate that an event has not yet occurred. Unlike '不' (bù), which is used for present habits or future intentions, '没' is the specific negative marker for completed actions. Note that when using '没', the aspect particle '了' (le) is typically omitted.
Examples
我没吃早饭。
Wǒ méi chī zǎofàn.
I didn't eat breakfast.
他没看电影。
Tā méi kàn diànyǐng.
He didn't watch the movie.
你没买苹果。
Nǐ méi mǎi píngguǒ.
You didn't buy apples.
Common mistakes
Using '了' (le) at the end of a negative sentence (e.g., saying '我没去了' instead of '我没去').
Tip
Think of '没' as the 'past tense' version of 'no'. If you are talking about something that didn't happen yesterday or earlier today, always choose '没' over '不'.
More HSK 1 grammar
See 没 V O in real Chinese
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