English–Chinese

“not be” in Chinese

Chinese

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù shì

Example

我不是学生。wǒ bú shì xué shēng

I am not a student.

Illustration for 不是 (not be)

How to say “not be” in Chinese

“Not be” in Chinese is 不是 (bù shì).

Cancels an asserted identity or judgment and leaves room for a different account of what is true.

Full entry for 不是: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 不是

他不是坏人。tā bú shì huài rén

He is not a bad person.

Tips for using 不是

  • Unlike English not, 不是 (bùshì, "not be") is not the usual negative for an action or a past event, where 没有 (méiyǒu, "not have; not") is commonly used.

“not be” in other languages