不 (bù) means "not, no" with 4 strokes, radical 一 (one), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: not
Other meanings:
- no
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The oracle-bone form of 不 is generally read as a pictograph of a flower's calyx or the base of a bud, with a horizontal line on top and downward strokes below representing the sepals. An older competing view, held by Xu Shen in the Shuowen Jiezi, read it as a bird flying upward and away, hence the sense of negation. The flower-calyx reading is now more widely accepted among paleographers.
Form evolution
The oracle-bone and bronze forms show a clear top bar with three or four downward strokes fanning out below. Seal script regularised these into a symmetrical shape with a central vertical and two angled strokes. Clerical script flattened the top, straightened the legs, and produced essentially the modern four-stroke 不 used in kaishu today.
How the meaning evolved
The original botanical sense was lost very early, and by the oracle-bone period 不 was already being borrowed phonetically as a general negative particle. In Classical Chinese it serves as the default negation before verbs and adjectives, a role it has held continuously for over three thousand years. Modern Mandarin preserves this exactly, with tone-sandhi (bù becoming bú before a fourth-tone syllable) being the main added wrinkle.
Cultural note
The original 'calyx' meaning survives in the variant 柎 and in the character 胚 (embryo), both retaining the sense of a base or undeveloped form. Learners often confuse 不 with 没; 不 negates habitual or future action and adjectives, while 没 negates past occurrence and possession.
Mnemonic
A bird flies up and hits the ceiling — no!
Basic info
| Pinyin | bù |
| Meanings | not, no |
| Stroke count | 4 strokes |
| Radical | 一 (#1: one) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1, write by hand at HSK 1-2 |
| Frequency | #1 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 不
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | not, no | HSK 1 |
| 不客气 | búkèqì | you are welcome | HSK 1 |
| 对不起 | duìbùqǐ | sorry | HSK 1 |
| 不但 | bùdàn | not only (... but also...) | HSK 3 |
| 不过 | búguò | However | HSK 4 |
| 不得不 | bùdébù | have to | HSK 4 |
| 不管 | bùguǎn | no matter | HSK 4 |
| 不仅 | bùjǐn | not only | HSK 4 |
| 差不多 | chàbuduō | Almost | HSK 3 |
| 来不及 | láibují | There's not enough time | HSK 4 |
| 受不了 | shòubuliǎo | Cannot bear sth | HSK 4 |
| 不断 | búduàn | Constantly | HSK 4 |
| 不见得 | bújiàndé | Not necessarily | HSK 7-9 |
| 不耐烦 | búnàifán | Impatient | HSK 6 |
| 不然 | bùrán | otherwise | HSK 5 |
| 不足 | bùzú | insufficient | HSK 5 |
| 怪不得 | guàibude | No wonder | HSK 7-9 |
| 看不起 | kànbuqǐ | Despise | HSK 6 |
| 了不起 | liǎobuqǐ | Amazing | HSK 5 |
Related characters
Similar meaning (abstract)
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.