How to use 没有
没有 + Verb
没有 before an action verb says that the action has not occurred or did not occur in the relevant period. The shorter 没 often has the same function. This is a common way to deny past events, but the important distinction is whether something happened, rather than a general rule that every past sentence requires 没.
A habitual refusal, intention, or description in a past setting may still use 不. Time expressions help establish the period being discussed because the verb itself does not acquire a past form. When negating a completed action, the ordinary affirmative completion marker 了 is normally removed. Interpret the negative together with the type of verb and the context.
Examples with pinyin and English
我没有去上班。
I didn't go to work.
他们没有说话。
They didn't speak.
我没有喝你的啤酒。
I didn't drink your beer.
她没有看到你。
She didn't see you.
What to remember
- Use 没 to deny an action's occurrence.
- 没有 and 没 often alternate before verbs.
- Past context does not automatically exclude 不.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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