verb / auxiliary verb HSK 3
Traditional 不許
not allow · must not · not permitted
Meaning
不许 is a prohibition or command meaning someone is not allowed to do something. It's stronger than 不能 (cannot) and conveys a direct order or rule from someone in authority. The speaker is actively forbidding an action.
Usage
Commonly used by parents, teachers, or authority figures to children or subordinates. It has a commanding, sometimes stern tone. Often appears in rules, signs, and direct commands. Can be softened slightly with 哦 or 啊 at the end.
Examples
- 01上课的时候不许玩手机。.You're not allowed to play with your phone during class.
- 02妈妈说不许吃太多糖。.Mom said we're not allowed to eat too much candy.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不许说话no talking allowed
- 不许哭don't cry, no crying
- 不许动don't move, freeze
- 不许笑don't laugh, no laughing
Antonyms
Origin
Composed of the negation 不 and the verb 许 (to allow/permit). The character 许 originally combined 言 (speech) and 午, indicating granting permission through words.