Mandarin · Chapter 2 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Negation: 不 (bù) vs 没 (méi)
Two words for not: 不 (bù) for now, the future and habits, 没 (méi) for what did not happen - and 有 only ever takes 没.
The short version
不有 (bù yǒu) does not exist, in any tense or register
有 (yǒu) is the one verb in the language with a fixed negator. It takes 没 (méi) everywhere, giving 没有 (méi yǒu), and 不有 (bù yǒu) is not rare or formal, it is simply not Mandarin. The reason is categorial rather than arbitrary: possession is existence, and 没 (méi) is the negator of existence and completion.
我没有事 wǒ méi yǒu shì
不 (bù) shifts to bú before another fourth tone
不 (bù) is fourth tone by default, but Mandarin dislikes two fourth tones back to back, so 不是 (bú shì) is bú shì, 不去 (bú qù) is bú qù and 不要 (bú yào) is bú yào. Before any other tone it stays bù: bù hǎo, bù lái, bù shuō. The character never changes and natives hear a missed shift instantly.
不是 bú shì
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