How to Say 'Don't Have' in Chinese: Master 有 and 没有 for Possession
Learn to express possession with 有 and its negation 没有. Use 我有, 你有, 他有, and 我没有 to talk about what you and others have or lack. Includes question forms and polite alternatives.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Chinese, the verb 有 (yǒu) means 'to have' and is used for all subjects—no conjugation needed. To say 'don't have' or 'hasn't,' simply put 没 (méi) before 有, creating 没有 (méiyǒu). This lesson teaches you to state what you or someone else possesses, ask others about their possessions, and politely say you don't have something. You'll also learn the common question form with 吗 and how to answer naturally. By the end, you'll be able to handle simple conversations about belongings, such as asking a friend if they have a bike or telling a shopkeeper you don't have cash.
By the end, you can…
- state what I or someone else has using 有.
- say I don't have something using 没有 and ask others if they have something.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我有自行车。
I have a bike.
Wǒ yǒu zìxíngchē.
Use 有 for all subjects; no verb change. 自行车 (zìxíngchē) means bicycle.
她没有汽车。
She doesn't have a car.
Tā méiyǒu qìchē.
Negate 有 with 没, not 不. 汽车 (qìchē) is car.
你有手机吗？
Do you have a mobile phone?
Nǐ yǒu shǒujī ma?
Add 吗 to make a yes/no question. 手机 (shǒujī) is mobile phone.
我没有现金。
I don't have cash.
Wǒ méiyǒu xiànjīn.
Useful when paying. 现金 (xiànjīn) means cash.
他有兄弟姐妹吗？
Does he have siblings?
Tā yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma?
兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdì jiěmèi) is a collective term for siblings.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern for possession is: Subject + 有 + Object. For example, 我有书 (I have a book), 你有笔吗？(Do you have a pen?), 他有朋友 (He has friends). To negate, replace 有 with 没有: 我没有书 (I don't have a book), 她没有笔 (She doesn't have a pen), 我们没有朋友 (We don't have friends). Note that 有 is never negated with 不; 不有 is not used. For yes/no questions, add 吗 at the end: 你有书吗？(Do you have a book?). The answer can be 有 (yes) or 没有 (no).
When to use it
Use 有 to express possession, existence, or availability. For example, 我有时间 (I have time), 这里有很多人 (There are many people here). Use 没有 to say you lack something or something is absent. In shops, you might say 我没有零钱 (I don't have small change) or ask 你们有矿泉水吗？(Do you have bottled water?). In casual conversation, 没有 can also mean 'did not' in past contexts, but for possession it's straightforward. Avoid using 不有; it's a common mistake. Also, for 'I don't have' in a polite refusal, you can say 我没有 + noun, or soften with 对不起，我没有 (Sorry, I don't have).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你有自行车吗？
Do you have a bike?Nǐ yǒu zìxíngchē ma?我没有自行车，我有汽车。
I don't have a bike; I have a car.Wǒ méiyǒu zìxíngchē, wǒ yǒu qìchē.她有汽车吗？
Does she have a car?Tā yǒu qìchē ma?她没有汽车，她有摩托车。
She doesn't have a car; she has a motorcycle.Tā méiyǒu qìchē, tā yǒu mótuōchē.A little context goes a long way
In Chinese, 有 is used for both possession and existence, so context clarifies meaning. When answering a question with 有, repeating the verb is common: 有 or 没有. In formal situations, such as speaking to a clerk, you can use 没有 politely. There's no need to conjugate 有 for different subjects, which makes it easier than English 'have/has.' Also, 没有 can be shortened to 没 in casual speech before a noun, e.g., 我没钱 (I have no money), but 没有 is never wrong.
One thing to watch for
Negating 有 with 不, as in 我不有车.
Try this instead: Always use 没 (or 没有) to negate 有: 我没有车 (I don't have a car). 不有 is not used in modern Mandarin.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I don't have a phone' in Chinese?
Show a sample answer
我没有手机。
This uses 没有 to negate possession. 手机 means mobile phone. Alternatively, you could say 我没手机 in casual speech, but 没有 is standard.
2Translate: 'Does she have a bike?'
Show a sample answer
她有自行车吗？
Add 吗 to the statement 她有自行车 to form a yes/no question. The answer could be 有 or 没有.
3Respond negatively to: 你有汽车吗？
Show a sample answer
我没有汽车。
This directly answers the question by negating 有 with 没有. You could also say 没有 as a short answer.
Use 有 for 'have' with any subject, and 没有 for 'don't have.' Never use 不有. Add 吗 to ask questions.
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