How to say “No” in Chinese
“No” in Chinese is 不是。, written in pinyin as Bú shì.
不是。
Bú shì.
No.
Word by word
What each part of 不是。 actually means.
- 不bùnot
- 是shìto be
When you use it
- As the negative answer to a 是 question: 这是你的吗？ 不是。
- Also to correct something wrong: 不是，我是英国人 (No — I'm British).
Use 不是。 in everyday situations. Greetings, thanks and the small words you use all day.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
不是的。
Bú shì de
No, it isn't.
Softer than a bare 不是, which can land bluntly in a conversation.
没有。
Méiyǒu
I don't have it. / It didn't happen.
The right 'no' for 有 questions and for things that did not happen. Not interchangeable with 不是.
不对。
Bú duì
That's not right.
For correcting information, not for answering a 是 question.
What usually trips people up
- 不是 negates 是 only. To refuse something offered — in a shop, a taxi, at a table — the polite form is 不用了，谢谢, not 不是.
- Watch the tone. 不 is normally bù, but it turns into bú before a 4th tone: it is bú shì, not bù shì. The same happens in 不对 (bú duì) and 不用 (bú yòng).
- 不是 and 没 are not interchangeable. 没 (or 没有) is for things that did not happen or that you do not have; 不是 is for saying what something is not.
What you might hear back
- 哦，好的。Ó, hǎo deOh, okay.
- 那这个是谁的？Nà zhège shì shéi de?Then whose is this?
- 没关系，谢谢。Méi guānxi, xièxieThat's all right — thanks.
Common questions
- How do you say "No" in Chinese?
- "No" in Chinese is 不是。 — written in pinyin as Bú shì. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.
- What does 不是。 mean in Chinese?
- 不是。 (Bú shì) means "No". Broken down word by word: 不 (bù) means "not"; 是 (shì) means "to be".
- When would you use "No" in Chinese?
- As the negative answer to a 是 question: 这是你的吗？ 不是。 Also to correct something wrong: 不是，我是英国人 (No — I'm British).
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