How to Say ‘Not’ in Simplified Chinese
不是
💬 Usage Tip: Negates statements or assertions.
🇨🇳 In China: Expressing negatives is direct yet can be softened in polite contexts.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
不
[bù]
not
Used to make a negative statement.
这不是我想要的。
This is not what I want.
是
[shì]
is
Third person singular present indicative of be.
这是一本好书。
This is a good book.
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