NTI Reader

不 bù

bù adverb not; no
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
Notes: 不 is used for simple negation, as opposed to 没, which is used for existence. 不 is used before adjectives, adverbs, and verbs, except 有 (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 26; Ho 2002, '不'; NCCED '不' 1). For example, 不知道是怎回事 '[He] did not he did not know how that was possible.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 207) This use is similar in both modern and literary Chinese (Pulleyblank 1995, p. 103). For example, in literary Chinese, 不可，直不百步耳，是亦走也。'They should not do so. Though they did not run a hundred paces, yet they also ran away.' (Meng 1.3/1/26, translation by Legge) The tone is changed to bú when 不 is followed by a syllable with fourth tone, in accordance with tone sandhi 变调. For example, 不去 bú qù 'will not go' (Sun 2006, loc. 545). 不 is the sixth most frequently used word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho 2002, '不').
bù adverb expresses that a certain condition cannot be acheived
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
Notes: In this pattern 不 is used after a verb to form a complement (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 27; NCCED '不' 7) For example, 洗不掉 'could not be washed away.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 211).
bù adverb as a correlative
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
Notes: Used to form as a correlative with 就 in the pattern 不 ... 就 (NCCED '不' 9)...
bù adverb no (answering a question)
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
Notes: 不 can be used independently to answer a preceding question (Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 26; NCCED '不' 5).
bù adverb forms a negative adjective from a noun
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
Notes: For example, 不运气 'unlucky' (NCCED '不' 4)
bù adverb at the end of a sentence to form a question
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
Notes: In this form 不 is used at the end of the sentence to turn it into a question (NCCED '不' 6).
bù adverb to form a yes or no question
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Spoken Language
Notes: In this form 不 is used to offer an alternative as part of a question (NCCED '不' 8). For example, 商量商量好不好？ 'Can we talk about it?' (Lao She, 2003, p. 216)
bù infix infix potential marker
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words , Concept: Negation 否定
Notes: 不 is one of the two infixes in Chinese, the other being 得 'can'. For example, 看不见 'cannot see' (Sun 2006, loc. 728).

Contained in

不私自募缘(不私自募緣) do not accept donations for yourself
四不可得经(四不可得經) Si Bu Ke De Jing
佛说不思议功德诸佛所护念经(佛說不思議功德諸佛所護念經) Fo Shuo Bu Siyi Gongde Zhu Fo Suo Hunian Jing
不上关系(不上關係) irrelevant
不比较，不计较(不比較，不計較) Never compare or calculate
同分异全不定过(同分異全不定過) an error due to uncertainty of a reason applicable in some similar and all dissimilar cases
不定性 an indeterminate nature
共不共四变(共不共四變) four kinds of transformation from collective and non-collective karma

Also contained in

无奇不有、不屈、不得了、怒不可遏、不休、不可同日而语、欲速而不达、不足月、闭口不言、不复、不见棺材不落泪、不正当竞争、下不为例、不为已甚、故旧不弃、不情愿、一言不发、不倦、不规则、不论、哀而不伤、败不成军、小不忍则乱大谋、无巧不成书、不耻下问、口不应心、无可无不可、不雅观、天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福、鹿死不择音、隐情不报、不像话、不相容原理、不韪、目不暂舍、不分上下、不可撤销信用证、寝不安席、机不可失，时不再来、蹒跚不前、摸不着边、一发不可收拾、不吐不快

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

Scroll 2 Si Fen Lu Xingshi Chao Zi Chi Ji 四分律行事鈔資持記 — count: 1416
Scroll 1 Si Fen Lu Xingshi Chao Zi Chi Ji 四分律行事鈔資持記 — count: 1178
Scroll 2 Si Fen Lu Shan Fan Bu Que Xingshi Chao 四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 — count: 1175
Scroll 22 The Large Sūtra on Perfection of Wisdom 大般若波羅蜜多經 — count: 892
Scroll 20 The Large Sūtra on Perfection of Wisdom 大般若波羅蜜多經 — count: 851
Scroll 18 The Large Sūtra on Perfection of Wisdom 大般若波羅蜜多經 — count: 850
Scroll 21 The Large Sūtra on Perfection of Wisdom 大般若波羅蜜多經 — count: 850
Scroll 407 The Large Sūtra on Perfection of Wisdom 大般若波羅蜜多經 — count: 846
Scroll 1 Si Fen Lu Shan Fan Bu Que Xingshi Chao 四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 — count: 783
Scroll 174 The Large Sūtra on Perfection of Wisdom 大般若波羅蜜多經 — count: 776