7.6: Lesson 6 Grammar - Negative commands with 别 (bié)

CHN101: Elementary Mandarin I · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC-SA, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Instead of saying "do not" with 不要 (bùyào), we can say "don't" a little more quickly and forcefully by using 别 (bié).

    Structure 

    Besides using 不要 (bùyào), negative commands can also be formed with 别 (bié). You could think of 别 (bié) as a contraction of 不要 (bùyào), as the structure is the same for both:

         别 + Verb (+ Obj.)

    Examples 

    • 别走。
      Bié zǒu.
      Don't leave.
       
    • 别说话！
      Bié shuōhuà!
      Don't speak!
       
    • 别笑！
      Bié xiào!
      Don't laugh!
       
    • 别动！
      Bié dòng!
      Don't move!
       
    • 别过来！
      Bié guòlái!
      Don't come over here!
       
    • 别打孩子！
      Bié dǎ háizi!
      Don't hit the child!
       
    • 别喝太多。
      Bié hē tài duō.
      Don't drink too much.
       
    • 喝酒以后别开车。
      Hējiǔ yǐhòu bié kāichē.
      After drinking alcohol, don't drive.
       
    • 吃饭的时候别玩手机。
      Chīfàn de shíhou bié wán shǒujī.
      When eating, don't play with your cell phone.
       
    • 上课的时候别说英文。
      Shàngkè de shíhou bié shuō Yīngwén.
      Don't speak English in class.

    [adapted from AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki, Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA 3.0]

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    This page titled 7.6: Lesson 6 Grammar - Negative commands with 别 (bié) was last modified on Thu, 13 Aug 2020 03:01:00 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Carl Polley (裴凯).