Meaning
没有 is the primary negative form for the verb 有 (to have) and is also used to negate completed actions in the past. It indicates absence, lack, or non-occurrence of something. Unlike 不, which negates present and future actions, 没有 specifically addresses past events or current non-possession.
Usage
Native speakers use 没有 to say they don't have something (我没有钱) or that something didn't happen (我没有去). It's often shortened to just 没 in casual speech. When comparing, 没有 means 'not as...as' (他没有我高 = he's not as tall as me). This is an essential everyday word used constantly in conversation.
Examples
- 01我没有时间去购物。.I don't have time to go shopping.
- 02他昨天没有来上课。.He didn't come to class yesterday.
Characters
Common collocations
- 没有问题no problem
- 没有关系it doesn't matter
- 没有...那么...... ...not as...as...
- 还没有not yet
Antonyms
Origin
没 originally meant 'to sink' or 'to disappear', combining the water radical with a phonetic component. Over time it evolved to express negation and absence. Combined with 有 (to have/exist), it creates the negative form meaning 'to not have' or 'did not'.