不要

búyào

don't!

HSK 1

漢字分解

Usage of 不要

'不要' is a common negative imperative or prohibition phrase in Mandarin Chinese. It is used to tell someone not to do something, similar to 'don't' in English. It can also express refusal or rejection of a request or offer.

Common contexts

  • Giving instructions or rules: e.g., '不要' (Don't smoke).
  • Expressing personal preference or refusal: e.g., '不要' (I don't want it).
  • Warning or advising someone against an action.

Collocations and patterns

  • 不要 + verb: direct negative command or request.
  • 不要 + verb + object: forbidding an action with an object.
  • 不要 + verb + : advising to stop doing something.

Nuances

'不要' is more formal and polite than just '' (bié), which is also used for 'don't'. '不要' can be softened with '' (please) for polite requests.

Common confusion

Don't confuse '不要' with '' + '' as separate words; together they form a fixed negative imperative. Also, '不要' is different from '' which expresses desire rather than command.

例文

不要迟到,会议马上开始了。

Búyào chídào, huìyì mǎshàng kāishǐ le.

Don't be late, the meeting is about to start.

请不要吸烟,这里是禁烟区。

Qǐng búyào xīyān, zhèlǐ shì jìnyān qū.

Please do not smoke, this is a non-smoking area.

我不要喝咖啡,我想喝茶。

Wǒ búyào hē kāfēi, wǒ xiǎng hē chá.

I don't want to drink coffee, I want to drink tea.