Ch 26 · Lesson 10

不 or 没, in the past?

Talking about the past does not by itself make it .

The rule

(méi) says an EVENT did not happen, or has never happened (with ): . But a past habit, a state, a liking, an ability or still takes (bù): , , . Ask whether something failed to happen, or whether you are describing how things were.

Pick the right one

0/6

Pick the right one: 不 or 没.

  1. 我昨天去上班。 (I did not go to work yesterday)

    wǒ zuó tiān ___ qù shàng bān 。 (I did not go to work yesterday)

  2. 我小时候喜欢吃鱼。 (as a child I did not like fish)

    wǒ xiǎo shí hou ___ xǐ huan chī yú 。 (as a child I did not like fish)

  3. 他以前是老师。 (he was not a teacher before)

    tā yǐ qián ___ shì lǎo shī 。 (he was not a teacher before)

  4. 上个星期我看见他。 (I did not see him last week)

    shàng gè xīng qī wǒ ___ kàn jiàn tā 。 (I did not see him last week)

  5. 那时候我会说中文。 (back then I could not speak Chinese)

    nà shí hou wǒ ___ huì shuō zhōng wén 。 (back then I could not speak Chinese)

  6. 我去过北京。 (I have never been to Beijing)

    wǒ ___ qù guò běi jīng 。 (I have never been to Beijing)

You met this in chapter 2. Worth a second look if the drill caught you out.

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Lesson 10 of 28 in this chapter

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