不 (bù) - not & no

不Tone 4

bù ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 一

丈与

不 · bù

not;

no;

negative prefix;

used to form negatives and questions.

notnonegative prefix

Usage highlights

not goodcannotnot knownot havenot wantnot right

Synonyms

  • 非— not; non-
  • 没— not have; did not
  • 无— without; not have

Antonyms

  • 是— yes; to be
  • 有— have; there is
  • 可— can; may

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I am not going (不去).
  • This is not good (不好).
  • He does not know (不知道).
  • Is it okay or not?(好不好?)

Collocations

  • not good(不好)
  • cannot(不能)
  • not know(不知道)
  • not have(没有)
  • not want(不要)
  • not right(不对)

Idioms

  • Unwavering and unyielding(不屈不挠)
  • Neither humble nor pushy(不卑不亢)
  • Unbreakable(牢不可破)
  • Unwilling to lag behind(不甘落后)
  • Unforgettable(念念不忘)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most fundamental and frequently used negative words in Chinese.
  • In names, it can express negation but is rarely used directly due to its negative connotation.
  • Tone sandhi: changes to second tone (bú) before fourth tone characters (e.g., 不对 bú duì).

FAQ