How to Say “Not” in Chinese: Using 不是 (bú shì)

If you want to say “am not,” “is not,” or “are not” in Chinese, it’s very simple.

You just need two words: 不是 (bú shì).

Let’s see how it works.

📚 What Is 不是 (bú shì)?

不是 (bú shì) = “am not,” “is not,” or “are not”

It’s simply the negation of 是 (shì).

Chinese makes this easy:

Just put 不 (bù, not) before 是 (shì).

Because of tone change rules, 不 (bù) changes to bú before the 4th tone shì.

Structure:

👤 Subject + 不是 (bú shì) + Noun / Pronoun

💡 Examples

1. 

我不是老师。

(Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.)

→ I am not a teacher.

👉 Let’s break it down:

2.

他不是学生。

(Tā bú shì xuéshēng.)

→ He is not a student.

👉 Let’s break it down:

3.

你不是医生。

(Nǐ bú shì yīshēng.)

→ You are  not a doctor.

👉 Let’s break it down:

4.

我们不是同学。

(Wǒmen bú shì tóngxué.)

→ We are not classmates.

👉 Let’s break it down:

🎯 Practice Time!

👉 Change the affirmative sentences into negative sentences.

1️⃣ 我是老师。

(Wǒ shì lǎoshī.)

I am a teacher.

2️⃣ 她是医生。

(Tā shì yīshēng.)

She is a doctor.

3️⃣ 他是学生。

(Tā shì xuéshēng.)

He is a student.

✅ Answers:

1️⃣ 我不是老师。

(Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.)

I am not a teacher.

2️⃣ 她不是医生。

(Tā bú shì yīshēng.)

She is not a doctor.

3️⃣ 他不是学生。

(Tā bú shì xuéshēng.)

He is not a student.

❗ Common Mistakes: Be Careful with Word Order

Some learners try to put 不 (bù) after 是 (shì) because they are thinking in English:

“I am not a teacher.”

But in Chinese, the word 不 comes before 是.

✅ Correct:

我不是老师。

(Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.)

I am not a teacher.

❌ Wrong:

我是不老师。

This is not correct in Chinese grammar.

💡 Why?

不 (bù) is used to negate the verb.

In this case, the verb is 是 (shì).

So the correct order is always:

不 + 是 → 不是

💡 Easy Tip to Remember

Think of 不是 (bú shì) as a simple “no” to 是 (shì).

Instead of changing verbs, just add 不 (bù) in front. Easy!

🚀 Your Turn! Practice in Real Life

Grammar is useful only if you use it in real life!

Here’s a small challenge for you today:

👉 Think of 3 things about yourself that you are NOT.

Write them down in Chinese using 不是 (bú shì).

For example:

• 我不是医生。 (Wǒ bú shì yīshēng.)
  → I am not a doctor.

• 我不是美国人。 (Wǒ bú shì Měiguó rén.)
  → I am not American.

• 我不是老师。 (Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.)
  → I am not a teacher.

Say them out loud or write them in your notebook.

The more you practice, the more natural it will feel.

💬 You can even try writing your sentences here or share them with a language partner!

🌟 Want step-by-step guidance?

👉 Check out my course: Mandarin Chinese Grammar Masterclass for Beginners.

👉 Explore the full blog series: Chinese Grammar Made Easy.