不 bù

  1. bù adverb not; no
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
    Notes: 不 is used for simple negation, as opposed to 没, which is used for existence. 不 is used before adjectives, adverbs, and verbs, except 有 (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 26; Ho 2002, '不'; NCCED '不' 1). For example, 不知道是怎回事 '[He] did not he did not know how that was possible.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 207) This use is similar in both modern and literary Chinese (Pulleyblank 1995, p. 103). For example, in literary Chinese, 不可，直不百步耳，是亦走也。'They should not do so. Though they did not run a hundred paces, yet they also ran away.' (Meng 1.3/1/26, translation by Legge) The tone is changed to bú when 不 is followed by a syllable with fourth tone, in accordance with tone sandhi 变调. For example, 不去 bú qù 'will not go' (Sun 2006, loc. 545). 不 is the sixth most frequently used word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho 2002, '不').
  2. bù adverb expresses that a certain condition cannot be acheived
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
    Notes: In this pattern 不 is used after a verb to form a complement (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 27; NCCED '不' 7) For example, 洗不掉 'could not be washed away.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 211).
  3. bù adverb as a correlative
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
    Notes: Used to form as a correlative with 就 in the pattern 不 ... 就 (NCCED '不' 9)...
  4. bù adverb no (answering a question)
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: 不 can be used independently to answer a preceding question (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 26; NCCED '不' 5).
  5. bù adverb forms a negative adjective from a noun
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
    Notes: For example, 不运气 'unlucky' (NCCED '不' 4)
  6. bù adverb at the end of a sentence to form a question
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
    Notes: In this form 不 is used at the end of the sentence to turn it into a question (NCCED '不' 6).
  7. bù adverb to form a yes or no question
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
    Notes: In this form 不 is used to offer an alternative as part of a question (NCCED '不' 8). For example, 商量商量好不好？ 'Can we talk about it?' (Lao She, 2003, p. 216)
  8. bù infix infix potential marker
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
    Notes: 不 is one of the two infixes in Chinese, the other being 得 'can'. For example, 看不见 'cannot see' (Sun 2006, loc. 728).
  9. bù adverb no; na
    Domain: Buddhism 佛教
    Notes: Sanskrit equivalent: na (BCSD '不', p. 33; MW 'na')

Contained in

Also contained in

不下 、 不成样子 、 不定方程 、 不处 、 大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国 、 大不应是 、 不避艰险 、 不可端倪 、 不赞成 、 深不可测 、 金钱不能买来幸福 、 道不同不相为谋 、 长流水，不断线 、 屡劝不听 、 不仅如此 、 半开后不圆唇元音 、 寝不安席 、 天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福 、 不消 、 法网灰灰，疏而不漏 、 美不胜收 、 不辞 、 皇帝不急太监急 、 亘古不变 、 不列颠哥伦比亚 、 从容不迫 、 不顺 、 不逮捕特权 、 知其然而不知其所以然 、 不义之财 、 不停 、 难不倒 、 冰炭不相容 、 誓死不降 、 刺刺不休 、 言教不如身教 、 可以意会，不可言传 、 不言自明 、 口齿不清 、 手脚不干净 、 绵绵不断 、 好记性不如烂笔头

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Truncated for common words