Chinese word

不要

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù yào

Meaning

  • auxiliary verbdon't

Example

不要迟到。bú yào chí dào

Don't be late.

Illustration for 不要 (don't)

More examples

考试前，不要紧张。kǎo shì qián bú yào jǐn zhāng

Before the exam, don't be nervous.

Core concept

A closed door toward an object or an action: it is not wanted, not needed, or not to be done.

Common phrases

  • 不要着急bú yào zháo jí

    don't panic

  • 不要紧张bú yào jǐn zhāng

    don't be nervous

  • 不要说话bú yào shuō huà

    don't talk

Similar words

别bié: Briefly tells someone to stop or avoid an action in everyday speech.
不用bú yòng: Says that there is no need for an action to happen.

Definition in Chinese

表示不希望或不需要，常用来说明对某物或某事没有欲望，也可置于动词前表示不要做某事。biǎo shì bù xī wàng huò bù xū yào cháng yòng lái shuō míng duì mǒu wù huò mǒu shì méi yǒu yù wàng yě kě zhì yú dòng cí qián biǎo shì bú yào zuò mǒu shì

Word origin

不 (bù, "not") + 要 (yào, "want or need") puts negation directly in front of wanting or needing, which also supports the command-like use before a verb.

Usage tips

  • Before an action, it marks a clear prohibition; after an offer, it can mean no thanks, so context helps distinguish the two uses.

Other meanings

  • not needverb
  • not wantverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word