沒 (méi) - Not have & there is not

沒Tone 2

méi ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

伦妙

沒 · méi

Not have;

there is not;

to not exist;

to be without;

also means to sink, to submerge, to disappear when pronounced mò.

Not havethere is notto not exist

Usage highlights

Not haveNo problemNot yetNothingTo sinkTo submerge

Synonyms

  • 無— not have; without
  • 未— not yet; have not
  • 沉— sink; submerge

Antonyms

  • 有— have; there is
  • 浮— float (antonym to the 'sink' meaning)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I don't have money (沒有錢).
  • There is no problem (沒問題).
  • He hasn't arrived yet (他還沒到).
  • The ship sank in the storm (船在風暴中沉沒了).

Collocations

  • Not have(沒有)
  • No problem(沒問題)
  • Not yet(還沒)
  • Nothing(沒什麼)
  • To sink(沉沒)
  • To submerge(淹沒)

Idioms

  • To vanish without a trace(神出鬼沒)
  • To be completely absorbed in(出神入沒)
  • To sink into oblivion(湮沒無聞)
  • To be overwhelmed by(淹沒在)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used as a common negation word in modern Chinese, equivalent to 'not' or 'without'.
  • In classical Chinese, primarily means 'to sink' or 'to submerge', related to its water radical.
  • The character reflects the concept of disappearance or absence, whether physical (sinking) or existential (not having).

FAQ