Chinese word

有没有

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǒu méi yǒu

Meaning

  • verbbe there

Example

家里有没有牛奶？jiā lǐ yǒu méi yǒu niú nǎi

Is there any milk at home?

Illustration for 有没有 (be there)

More examples

请问，这里有没有吸烟区？qǐng wèn zhè lǐ yǒu méi yǒu xī yān qū

Excuse me, is there a smoking area here?

Core concept

A spoken yes-or-no check that puts presence, possession, and past experience on the same have-or-not-have axis.

Common phrases

  • 会议上有没有异议huì yì shàng yǒu méi yǒu yì yì

    have any objections at the meeting

  • 这里有没有吸烟区zhè lǐ yǒu méi yǒu xī yān qū

    have a smoking area here

  • 项目有没有进展xiàng mù yǒu méi yǒu jìn zhǎn

    have progress on the project

Similar words

有yǒu: Indicates the presence or availability of a person or thing.
没有méi yǒu: Indicates the absence or unavailability of a person or thing.

Definition in Chinese

用作疑问结构，用来询问某物或某人是否存在或是否具备某物；也可与动词连用询问动作是否发生或是否有过经验，常见于口语。yòng zuò yí wèn jié gòu yòng lái xún wèn mǒu wù huò mǒu rén shì fǒu cún zài huò shì fǒu jù bèi mǒu wù yě kě yǔ dòng cí lián yòng xún wèn dòng zuò shì fǒu fā shēng huò shì fǒu yǒu guò jīng yàn cháng jiàn yú kóu yǔ

Word origin

有没有 (yǒuméiyǒu, "have or not have") combines 有 (yǒu, "have") and 没有 (méiyǒu, "not have"), placing the positive and negative forms together to create a compact spoken question.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, it commonly comes before a noun phrase or a verb, so what follows shows whether the question concerns an item or an event.

Other meanings

  • haveverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word