In a sentence
这些店都不收现金。
Zhèxiē diàn dōu bù shōu xiànjīn.
None of these shops accept cash.
都不 makes the negative true of every shop in the group.
我平时不带现金。
Wǒ píngshí bú dài xiànjīn.
I do not normally carry cash.
不 describes the usual habit, and 平时 makes that context clear.
今天我没带现金。
Jīntiān wǒ méi dài xiànjīn.
I did not bring cash today.
没 reports what did not happen on this occasion.
Grammar & reading
Talk about a whole group with 都
Say that an action or description applies to everyone or everything in a group. Name the group before you use 都.
Choose between 不 and 没
Ask what you are denying: a preference or general statement, an event that did not happen, or possession.
Words from the same lessons
About these meanings and examples
Laowai’s original website lessons and readings supply the short English meanings, sentence examples and usage notes. Each example links to its full context. For broader definitions, traditional characters and pronunciation audio, use the full dictionary.
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