HSK · Level 6
133 words
Chinese word
非
Pronunciation
Pinyinfēi
Meaning
- adverbnot
Example
他的说法并非事实。tā de shuō fǎ bìng fēi shì shí
His statement is not a fact.
More examples
并非所有人都喜欢这个提议。bìng fēi suó yǒu rén dōu xǐ huān zhè ge tí yì
Not everyone likes this proposal.
Core concept
A boundary marker that places a claim outside the accepted category.
Common phrases
并非如此bìng fēi rú cǐ
not so
并非所有bìng fēi suó yǒu
not all
Similar words
并不bìng bù: Used to stress that a fact or degree genuinely does not apply.
并没有bìng méi yǒu: Used to stress that something did not really happen or is not present.
并非bìng fēi: A somewhat formal denial that something is true in fact or in its essential nature.
绝非jué fēi: Used to deny something completely, leaving no chance that it is true.
Definition in Chinese
表示否定或排除，相当于“不是”，用于否定某一断言或强调非属事实的情况，语气比口语“不是”更正式或更强。biǎo shì fǒu dìng huò pái chú xiāng dāng yú bú shì yòng yú fǒu dìng mǒu yí duàn yán huò qiáng diào fēi shǔ shì shí de qíng kuàng yǔ qì bǐ kóu yǔ bú shì gēng zhèng shì huò gèng qiáng
Word origin
非 (fēi, "not") began as an ancient image of two wings or spreading forms, then came to suggest opposition and what was wrong before developing into a general marker of negation.
Usage tips
- The English prefix non- offers a useful cross-language connection because both forms can define a category by stating what does not belong, although this Chinese item can also stand alone in a clause.