Chinese word

毫不

Pronunciation

Pinyinháo bù

Meaning

  • adverbnot at all

Example

他毫不在意别人的看法。tā háo bú zài yì bié rén de kàn fǎ

He does not care at all about what other people think.

Illustration for 毫不 (not at all)

More examples

她毫不犹豫地接受了邀请。tā háo bù yóu yù dì jiē shòu le yāo qǐng

She accepted the invitation without hesitation.

Core concept

Complete absence of even the smallest degree, leaving no trace of the action or quality being denied.

Common phrases

  • 毫不犹豫háo bù yóu yù

    not hesitate at all

  • 毫不留情háo bù liú qíng

    show no mercy

  • 毫不在意háo bú zài yì

    not care at all

Similar words

根本不gēn běn bù: Firmly states that something is not the case at all, often rejecting it from the start.
一点儿也不yì diǎnr yě bù: In everyday speech, strongly says that something is not present even a little.
完全不wán quán bù: Shows that a quality or action is completely absent.
丝毫不sī háo bù: In somewhat written language, strongly stresses that there is not even the slightest degree.

Definition in Chinese

连一丁点儿也没有，强调没有任何程度或迹象，通常放在动词或形容词前以加强否定。lián yì dīng diǎnr yě méi yǒu qiáng diào méi yǒu rèn hé chéng dù huò jì xiàng tōng cháng fàng zài dòng cí huò xíng róng cí qián yǐ jiā qiáng fǒu dìng

Word origin

毫 (háo, "the slightest amount") + 不 (bù, "not") literally marks the absence of even a tiny amount, which develops into emphatic negation.

Usage tips

  • As an adverb, it normally stands directly before the verb or adjective it negates, so its scope stays clear in longer sentences.

Opposites

Word lists with this word