Mandarin Chinese - An ExplanatoryGuide to Key Language Issues

1. The difference between the negations
没 (méi) and 不(bù)
• 没 (méi) negates past actions ( and rarely also present) and negates
existing of a feeling in the past.
我没喜欢过她。 (wǒ méi xǐ huān guò tā)
I didn‘t like her (in the past).
• 不 (bù) negates present and future actions (and rarely also past) and
negates feelings in one heart presently and in the future.
我不喜欢她。 (wǒ bù xǐ huān tā)
(my feeling now is that) I don't like him.
* The only exception is the verb 知道(zhī dào). The expression " 没知道" ("méi zhī dào") does not
exist in Chinese.