Understanding Negatives in Chinese: "不" vs "没"

Today, we're diving deep into the fascinating word "没" which has two pronunciations and multiple meanings, commonly used in everyday conversations.

"méi" and "mò" - Learn the difference in pronunciation and how each is used in different contexts.

Using "没 (méi)":
Negating Nouns and Verbs: Understand how "没" can mean "no" or "not have" when used with nouns, and how it negates actions when used with verbs.
Forming Sentences: Examples like "屋里没人" (There is no one in the room) and "我没看见" (I didn't see) to illustrate proper usage.

Comparing "不" and "没":
Future vs. Past Negation: Learn the key differences between "不", which negates future actions, and "没", which negates past actions.
Practical examples to clarify: "你昨天看电视了吗？我没看" (Did you watch TV yesterday? I didn’t watch) vs. "你今天下班后和我去喝酒吗？我不去" (Are you going to drink with me after work today? I won’t go).

Common Phrases and Sentence Structures:
Fixed expressions and important sentence patterns like 动词+不+补语 (verb + "不" + complement) and 没+动词+补语 (没 + verb + complement).
Examples such as 看不见/没看见 (can't see/didn't see) and 听不见/没听见 (can't hear/didn't hear).

Exploring "没 (mò)":
Understand the less common but important usages, such as "没过" (to overflow) and "淹没" (to submerge), with real-life examples.