(bú yào) - do not (imperative negation) in Mandarin
búyàoTraditional: 不要
Translation
do not (imperative negation)
Word origin
A two-character expression: 不 'not' plus 要 'to want' (originally a pictograph of a woman with hands at the waist). Together 不要 is the prohibitive 'do not' or 'do not want'.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 不 (not) + 要 (want)
Stroke order
不
要
Examples
，。
Do not worry, it is fine.
课。
Do not use your phone during class.
，。
Do not say it like that, he will be upset.
。
Do not touch that cup.
。
Please do not speak loudly.
Used in
Stories
(1)Grammar articles
(4)Mandarin Intermediate Grammar (B1-B2 / HSK 4-5): Complements, Conjunctions and the Full 了 System
Mandarin Negation: 不 (bù) vs 没 (méi), and Why 不有 Does Not Exist
Mandarin Requests and Imperatives: 请, 别, 不要, the Softening Particles 吧/啊, and Verb Reduplication
Yes-No Questions in Mandarin: 吗 (ma), Echo Answers, and the Bounce-Back 呢 (ne)
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