In Mandarin, when you want to say that something didn't happen in the past, you often use the word 没 (méi). This lesson will help you learn how to use 没 to show that something did not take place. We will go over some basic grammar points too!
In Mandarin, the usual order of a sentence is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). Let's look at an example:
Now, if you want to say that this didn't happen in the past, you add 没.
Using 没 is quite easy:
For example:
Remember, 没 is used for things that have already happened but did not happen. If you want to say that an action is fully done in the past, you can add the word 了 (le). However, you usually don’t need it when you use 没:
In Mandarin, we use measure words when counting nouns. For example, to talk about an apple, we say 个 (gè):
When using 没 to show that something didn't happen, make sure to include the measure word if you are talking about amounts:
To turn a statement into a question, you can add 吗 (ma) at the end:
To ask if something wasn’t done, you can also use 没 in the same sentence pattern:
Here are some examples for you to practice:
我没看电影。
她没去学校。
他们没喝水。
Learning how to use 没 to show when something didn’t happen in the past will help you communicate more effectively in Mandarin. Remember the sentence structure, use measure words correctly, and practice asking questions. This will make it easier for you to understand this key part of the language!
In Mandarin, when you want to say that something didn't happen in the past, you often use the word 没 (méi). This lesson will help you learn how to use 没 to show that something did not take place. We will go over some basic grammar points too!
In Mandarin, the usual order of a sentence is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). Let's look at an example:
Now, if you want to say that this didn't happen in the past, you add 没.
Using 没 is quite easy:
For example:
Remember, 没 is used for things that have already happened but did not happen. If you want to say that an action is fully done in the past, you can add the word 了 (le). However, you usually don’t need it when you use 没:
In Mandarin, we use measure words when counting nouns. For example, to talk about an apple, we say 个 (gè):
When using 没 to show that something didn't happen, make sure to include the measure word if you are talking about amounts:
To turn a statement into a question, you can add 吗 (ma) at the end:
To ask if something wasn’t done, you can also use 没 in the same sentence pattern:
Here are some examples for you to practice:
我没看电影。
她没去学校。
他们没喝水。
Learning how to use 没 to show when something didn’t happen in the past will help you communicate more effectively in Mandarin. Remember the sentence structure, use measure words correctly, and practice asking questions. This will make it easier for you to understand this key part of the language!