4.9: Lesson 3 Grammar - Expressing possession with 有 (yǒu)
- Page ID
- 66576
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)有 (yǒu) can be used in various ways, but the most basic meaning of this verb you need to know is "to have."
Structure
Subj. + 有 + Obj.
Examples
- 我有钱。
Wǒ yǒu qián.
I have money.
- 你有房子吗？
Nǐ yǒu fángzi ma?
Do you have a house?
- 她没有车。
Tā méi yǒu chē.
She doesn't have a car.
- 他有女朋友吗？
Tā yǒu nǚpéngyou ma?
Does he have a girlfriend?
- 我们有三个女儿。
Wǒmen yǒu sān gè nǚ'ér.
We have three daughters.
- 我们家有两个公司。
Wǒmen jiā yǒu liǎng gè gōngsī.
Our family has two companies.
- 你有一百块钱吗？
Nǐ yǒu yī bǎi kuài qián ma?
Do you have 100 kuài RMB?
- 你的老师有 iPad 吗？
Nǐ de lǎoshī yǒu iPad ma?
Does your teacher have an iPad?
- 我爸爸没有工作。
Wǒ bàba méi yǒu gōngzuò.
My dad doesn't have a job.
- 今天你有课吗？
Jīntiān nǐ yǒu kè ma?
Do you have classes today?
Negating 有 (yǒu)
The verb 有 (yǒu) is negated in a special way. Rather than placing 不 (bù) before it as with other verbs, you must use 没 (méi) to negate the verb 有 (yǒu). The negative form of 有 (yǒu) then, is 没有 (méiyǒu).
Structure
没 + 有 (+ Obj.)
Note: because of the special relationship between 没 (méi) and 有 (yǒu), the pinyin for 没有 is normally written without a space: "méiyǒu."
Examples
- 我没有问题。
Wǒ méiyǒu wèntí.
I don't have any questions.
- 我们现在没有钱。
Wǒmen xiànzài méiyǒu qián.
We don't have money now.
- 他没有工作吗？
Tā méiyǒu gōngzuò ma?
Does he not have a job?
- 他们没有爸爸妈妈 。
Tāmen méiyǒu bàba māma.
They don't have parents.
- 我们在北京没有房子。
Wǒmen zài Běijīng méiyǒu fángzi.
We don't have a house in Beijing.
- 你爸爸没有手机吗？
Nǐ bàba méiyǒu shǒujī ma?
Does your dad not have a cell phone?
- 你们在上海没有朋友吗？
Nǐmen zài Shànghǎi méiyǒu péngyou ma?
Do you not have friends in Shanghai?
- 我的老师现在没有男朋友。
Wǒ de lǎoshī xiànzài méiyǒu nánpéngyou.
My teacher doesn't have a boyfriend now.
- 他们都没有电脑吗？
Tāmen dōu méiyǒu diànnǎo ma?
Do they all not have computers?
- 这个周末你们都没有时间吗？
Zhège zhōumò nǐmen dōu méiyǒu shíjiān ma?
Do you all not have time this weekend?
Remember that trying to negate 有 (yǒu) with 不 (bù) is a classic mistake that many people make in the early stages of studying Chinese:
- 我不有车。 << BAD EXAMPLE, NEVER SAY IT THIS WAY!
Wǒ bù yǒu chē.
[Note: Never use 不 with 有!]
- 我没有车。 << GOOD EXAMPLE
Wǒ méiyǒu chē.
I don't have a car.
[Note: Always use 沒 with 有.]
Never use 不 (bù) with 有 (yǒu).
The Short Form of 没有 (méiyǒu) Is 没 (méi)
没有 (méiyǒu) can be shortened to 没 (méi) without altering its meaning.
- 我没钱。
Wǒ méi qián.
I don't have money.
- 你没男朋友吗？
Nǐ méi nánpéngyou ma?
Do you not have a boyfriend?
- 你们没车吗？
Nǐmen méi chē ma?
You don't have a car?
- 老板现在没时间。
Lǎobǎn xiànzài méi shíjiān.
The boss doesn't have time right now.
- 我没工作，我老公也没工作。
Wǒ méi gōngzuò, wǒ lǎogōng yě méi gōngzuò.
I don't have a job. My husband doesn't have a job either.
[adapted from AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki, Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA 3.0]
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