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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'don't have' with 没有 (méiyǒu) as a verb

    HSK 1
    Existence & Possession
    Negation

    Structure

    Subject + 没有 + Noun

    Explanation

    When used as a main verb, 没有 means "to not have" or "there isn't." It directly negates possession or existence. For example, 我没有钱 means "I don't have money" and 没有人 means "There's nobody."

    Examples

    • 冰箱里没有牛奶了。

      bīngxiāng lǐ méiyǒu niúnǎi le.

      There's no more milk in the fridge.

    • 我没有时间,明天再说吧。

      wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān, míngtiān zài shuō ba.

      I don't have time, let's talk about it tomorrow.

    • 这附近没有地铁站。

      zhè fùjìn méiyǒu dìtiězhàn.

      There's no subway station nearby.