不

不 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+3, 4 strokes, cangjie input 一火 (MF), four-corner 1090₀, composition ⿸丆⿰丨丶(GHJKT) or ⿻丆卜(V))

This character is not to be confused with visually similar but unrelated 𣎴 (U+233B4) or 𤓯 (U+244EF).

• 伓, 吥, 坏, 妚, 怀, 抔, 㳅, 还, 阫, 肧, 杯, 炋, 环, 𭾟, 𥐴, 紑, 𦤹, 𧉈, 𰀍, 衃, 䞜, 鈈 (钚), 䬪, 𡮗, 鴀 (𫛜), 㞸, 芣, 罘, 𮅁, 䯱, 丕, 𰀲, 㔻, 否, 奀, 㫘, 㶪, 𠀱, 㶨, 𠀰, 甭, 盃, 歪, 𧖯, 𧗩, 𠀾, 孬, 覔, 𠁆, 䬩, 嫑, 𧶏, 𠁙, 𠁞, 囨

• ふ (Hiragana character derived from Man'yōgana)
• フ (Katakana character derived from Man'yōgana)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 76, character 15
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 19
• Dae Jaweon: page 149, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 11, character 6
• Unihan data for U+4E0D
• Unihan data for U+F967

Historical forms of the character 不
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j25391 j25392 j25393 j25394 j25395 j25396 j25397 j25398 j25399 j25400 j25401 j25402 j25403 j25404 j25405 j25406 j25407 j25408 j25409 j25410 j25411 j25412 j25413 j25414 j25415 j25416 j25417 j25418 j25419 j25420 j25421 j25422 j25423 j25424 j25425 j25426 j25427 j25428 j25429 j25430 j25431 j25432 j25433 j25434 j25435 j25436 j25437 j25438 j25439 j25440 j25441 j25442 j25443 j25444 j25445 j25446 j25447 j25448 j25449 j25450 j25451 j25452 j25453 j25454 j25455 j25456 j25457 j25458 j25459 j25460 j25461 j25462 j25463 j25464 j25465 j25466 j25467 j25468 j25469 j25470 j25471 j25472 j25473 j25474 j25475 j25476 j25477 j25478 j25479 j25480 j25481 j25482 j25483 j25484 j25485 j25486 j25487 j25488 j25489 j25490 j25491 j25492 j25493 j25494 j25495 j25496 j25497 j25498 j25499 j25500 j25501 j25502 j25503 j25504 j25505 j25506 j25507 j25508 j25509 j25510 j25511 j25512 j25513 j25514 j25515 j25516 j25517 j25518 j25519 j25520 j25521 j25522 j25523 j25524 j25525 j25526 j25527 j25528 j25529 j25530 j25531 j25532 j25533 j25534 j25535 j25536 j25537 j25538 j25539 j25540 j25541 j25542 j25543 j25544 j25545 j25546 j25547 j25548 j25549 j25550 j25551 j25552 j25553 j25554 j25555 j25556 j25557 j25558 j25559 j25560 j25561 j25562 j25563 j25564 j25565 j25566 j25567 j25568 j25569 j25570 j25571 j25572 j25573 j25574 j25575 j25576 j25577 j25578 j25579 j25580 j25581 j25582 j25583 j25584 j25585 j25586 j25587 j25588 j25589 j25590 j25591 j25592 j25593 j25594 j25595 j25596 j25597 j25598 j25599 j25600 j25601 j25602 j25603 j25604 j25605 j25606 j25607 j25608 j25609 j25610 j25611 j25612 j25613 j25614 j25615 j25616 j25617 j25618 j25619 j25620 j25621 j25622 j25623 j25624 j25625 j25626 j25627 j25628 j25629 j25630 Bronze inscriptions b16048 b16049 b16050 b16051 b16052 b16053 b16054 b16055 b16056 b16057 b16058 b16059 b16060 b16061 b16062 b16063 b16064 b16065 b16066 b16067 b16068 b16069 b16070 b16071 b16072 b16073 b16074 b16075 b16076 b16077 b16078 b16079 b16080 b16081 b16082 b16083 b16084 b16085 b16086 b16087 b16088 b16089 b16090 b16091 b16092 b16093 b16094 b16095 b16096 b16097 b16098 b16099 b16100 b16101 Small seal script s08670 Transcribed ancient scripts L35401 L35402 L35403 L35404 L35405 L35406 L35407 L18305 L18307 L18308 L18309 L18310 L18311 L18312 L18313 L18314 L18315 L18316 L18317 L18318 L18319 L18320 L18321 L18322 L18323 L18324 L18325
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Pictogram (象形) : the calyx of a flower. 不 was then composed into a phono-semantic character with the pictograph for mouth (口), to form 否 (OC *brɯʔ, *pɯʔ), representing “no” (negation). This composed meaning then spread back to the original character 不, making it a synonym of 否. A new character of 柎 (OC *po) was eventually created to represent the original meaning of calyx.

Following Shuowen’s interpretation, Karlgren and Wieger interpret it as a bird flying toward the sky (一). The sky being the limit for the bird, thus the idea of negation.

Old Chinese had two sets of negatives: the initial *p-series and the initial *m-series. 不 is the prototype of the *p-series of negatives. Although it is the usual Literary Chinese negative attested from the oracle bone script down, its current usage is now confined to Mandarin dialects. In the oracle bone inscriptions, a total of five negative particles can be found: 不, 弗, 毋, 勿 and 非. With the exception of 非 (discussed later), the remaining can be neatly organised into the following system:

Takahashi (1996) argued that the *m-type negatives are modal (i.e. negative verbs which are thought of as controllable by the Shang), whereas the *p-type negatives are non-modal (imply uncontrollability; actions which are beyond the control of living persons).

In the *p-series, 不 usually goes with intransitive verbs in the oracle bone script, and 弗 (OC *pɯd) with transitive ones, although there are some glaring exceptions. Little or no pattern can be discerned in the *m-type category. Takahashi (1996) also proposed that the difference between the two vowel series was whether they preceded “stative, eventive, passive” (*-V series) or “non-stative, non-eventive, active” (*-ɯd series) verbs.

It is possible that the two parallel series of negatives in Old Chinese represent a fusion of the common Sino–Tibetan *ma (“no, not”) (carried by the eastward-migrating early Sino–Tibetans) and an indigenous negation system in Central China, and that the merger had been complete by the Shang times. Compare a similar system in Proto-Tai: *ɓawᴮ (“not [strong form 1]”), *boːᴮ (“not [strong form 2]”), *miːᴬ (“not [weak form]”); Thai บ่ (bɔ̀ɔ, “(literary, archaic, dialectal) not”).

The development from Old Chinese to Middle Chinese was not regular. The character 不 replaced 弗 (OC *pɯd, MC *piut), to respect the naming taboo for Emperor Zhao of Han, although the pronunciation has remained in nearly all topolects (e.g. Beijing Mandarin bù, Guangzhou Cantonese bat¹, Meixian Hakka bud⁵, Shanghainese Wu peq). The Modern Standard Mandarin pronunciation is also from this checked coda word, but this word escaped from regular sound changes during its evolution to the modern pronunciation bù. The expected reading is fu (tone undetermined), with labiodentalisation. The rising-tone pronunciation had a Middle Chinese homophone 否 (“not”), which is now primarily used in compounds, and demonstrates the regular development into modern f-. Another example of a high-frequency word escaping this sound change is 父 (OC *paʔ, *baʔ, “dad”), which resulted in the late coinage of the character 爸 (bà).

不 is cognate with other negation particles in the *p-type category:

• 弗 (OC *pɯd, “not”);
• 非 (OC *pɯj, “not be; not”) – can be safely regarded as a fusion of 不 (OC *pɯ, *pɯʔ, *pɯ', “not”) and 惟 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”);
• 否 (OC *brɯʔ, *pɯʔ, “not; to be wrong”);
• 匪 (OC *pɯjʔ, “it is not; to be not”); and
• 棐 (OC *pɯjʔ, “it is not; to be not”).

Cognate with Thai บ่ (bɔ̀ɔ, “(literary, archaic, dialectal) not”) (Schuessler, 2007).

不

1. (preceding verbs and adjectives) not

   這個不好。／这个不好。  ―  Zhège bù hǎo.  ―  This is not good.

   他不愛你。／他不爱你。  ―  Tā bú ài nǐ.  ―  He does not love you.

2. (between a verb and a complement) cannot

   Antonym: 得

   我看不見你。／我看不见你。  ―  Wǒ kàn bú jiàn nǐ.  ―  I can't see you.

3. Used as an answer of refutation to a polar question: no (to a positive polar question); yes (to a negative polar question)

   你是日本人嗎？不，我不是。 [MSC, trad.]
   你是日本人吗？不，我不是。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ shì Rìběnrén ma? Bù, wǒ bú shì. [Pinyin]

   Are you Japanese? No, I'm not.

   你不是日本人嗎？不，我是日本人。 [MSC, trad.]
   你不是日本人吗？不，我是日本人。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ bú* shì Rìběnrén ma? Bù, wǒ shì Rìběnrén. [Pinyin]

   *Intonational high pitch here.
   Aren't you Japanese? Yes, I am Japanese.

   • 1965 March 15, “周恩来总理在第三届全国人民代表大会第一次会議上作政府工作报告”, in 中华人民共和国全国人民代表大会常务委員会公报, number 77, page 12:

     难道这是做不到的嗎？是吹牛皮、放大炮嗎？不，是做得到的。旣不是吹牛皮，也不是放大炮。 [MSC, simp.]
     難道這是做不到的嗎？是吹牛皮、放大炮嗎？不，是做得到的。旣不是吹牛皮，也不是放大炮。 [MSC, trad.]

     Nándào zhè shì zuòbudào de ma? Shì chuīniúpí, fàngdàpào ma? Bù, shì zuòdedào de. Jì bùshì chuīniúpí, yě bùshì fàngdàpào. [Pinyin]

     Are these actually unachievable? Is it bragging or big talk? No, these are achievable. It's neither bragging nor big talk.

   • 2011, 盧靜文, 《一生不能不懂的教育學故事》, Taipei: 知青頻道, →ISBN, page 137:

     蘇格拉底還在啟發學生：「你説欺騙朋友是惡行，可是在戰爭時統帥為了鼓舞士氣，會假稱援軍就要到了，實際上並無援軍，你説這種欺騙是惡行嗎？」學生説：「不，這是善行。」 [Taiwanese Mandarin, trad.]
     苏格拉底还在启发学生：「你说欺骗朋友是恶行，可是在战争时统帅为了鼓舞士气，会假称援军就要到了，实际上并无援军，你说这种欺骗是恶行吗？」学生说：「不，这是善行。」 [Taiwanese Mandarin, simp.]

     Sūgélādǐ hái zài qǐfā xuéshēng: “Nǐ shuō qīpiàn péngyǒu shì èxìng, kěshì zài zhànzhēng shí tǒngshuài wèi le gǔwǔ shìqì, huì jiǎchēng yuánjūn jiùyào dào le, shíjìshàng bìng wú yuánjūn, nǐ shuō zhè zhǒng qīpiàn shì èxìng ma?” Xuéshēng shuō: “Bù, zhè shì shànxìng.” [Pinyin]

     Socrates enlightened his students, "You said lying to a friend is an evil deed, but if a commander falsely claims in battle that reinforcements are on their way in order to boost morale even though there are no reinforcements in actuality, would you say this kind of lying is evil?" The students said, "No, this is a good deed."

4. Used with 就 (jiù) to indicate the first of two alternatives.

   他每天不是上班，就是去做義工，一點兒休息的時間都沒有。 [MSC, trad.]
   他每天不是上班，就是去做义工，一点儿休息的时间都没有。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā měitiān búshì shàngbān, jiùshì qù zuò yìgōng, yīdiǎnr xiūxī de shíjiān dōu méiyǒu. [Pinyin]

   Every day, he either goes to work or volunteers, not leaving any time for rest.

5. (colloquial) Question particle placed at the end of the sentence.
6. (colloquial) Intensifying particle often used with 好 (hǎo).
7. ^† Meaningless particle used in poems and other texts.

   • 有周不顯、帝命不時。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     有周不显、帝命不时。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Yǒu zhōu bù xiǎn, dì mìng bù shí. [Pinyin]

     Illustrious was the House of Zhou, And the appointment of God came at the proper season.

• (not):

• (Mandarin)
  • The tone changes from fourth to second tone when followed by a fourth-tone syllable.
  • (not):
    • The past-perfect form of 不 is 沒／没 (méi) or 未 (wèi), not *不了

      我不當兵。／我不当兵。  ―  Wǒ bù dāngbīng.  ―  I am not becoming a soldier.

      我沒當兵。／我没当兵。  ―  Wǒ méi dāngbīng.  ―  I did not become a soldier.

      我未當兵。／我未当兵。  ―  Wǒ wèi dāngbīng.  ―  I have not yet become a soldier.

      我不當兵了。／我不当兵了。  ―  Wǒ bù dāngbīng le.  ―  I am no longer a soldier.

      Note that the 4th sentence does not mean "I have not become a soldier". Syntactically, 不 is a verb prefix that forms a stative verb with the verb to be negated. Therefore it can not be modified by the perfective aspect marker 了 (le), which modifies only dynamic verbs. When 了 appears in a 不 sentence, it usually functions as a marker of "currently relevant state" instead.

    • 不 can not be used before the verb 有 (yǒu, “to have”). Use 沒／没 (méi) instead.

      Incorrect:

      *我不有手機。

      Correct:

      我沒有手機。／我没有手机。  ―  Wǒ méiyǒu shǒujī.  ―  I do not have a mobile phone.

    • 不 can not be used before compounds beginning with 有, or another 不. Depending on the context, other negative particles must be used instead which formally contain a predicate or auxiliary, e.g., 不是 (bùshì), 並非／并非 (bìngfēi), imperfective 沒有／没有 (méiyǒu), epistemic 不會／不会 (bùhuì).

      Incorrect:

      *這個問題不不值一提。

      Correct:

      這個問題不是不值一提。 [MSC, trad.]
      这个问题不是不值一提。 [MSC, simp.]

      Zhè ge wèntí bùshì bùzhí yī tí. [Pinyin]

      This problem is not unworth mentioning.

    • The verb can be elided, as in the following:

      爲什麼不呢？／为什么不呢？  ―  Wèishénme bù ne?  ―  Why not?

      • An equivalent construction is not valid in Cantonese.
  • (can not):
    • "not" and "can not" are distinguished only by word order.

      他不打開門。／他不打开门。  ―  Tā bù dǎkāi mén.  ―  He does not open the door.

      他打不開門。／他打不开门。  ―  Tā dǎ bù kāi mén.  ―  He can not open the door.

    • Since 不 must be placed before a complement, if there is no complement in the sentence, a placeholder 了 (liǎo) can be used for this purpose.

      我動不了。／我动不了。  ―  Wǒ dòng bù liǎo.  ―  I can not move.

  • (no): Although 不 can be used like English no to answer a yes/no question, it is more natural to answer it by changing the question to a negative statement.

    你認識他嗎？不。 [MSC, trad.]
    你认识他吗？不。 [MSC, simp.]

    Nǐ rènshí tā ma? Bù. [Pinyin]

    Do you know him? No.

    你認識他嗎？(我)不認識。 [MSC, trad.]
    你认识他吗？(我)不认识。 [MSC, simp.]

    Nǐ rènshí tā ma? (wǒ) bù rènshí. [Pinyin]

    Do you know him? No.

• When read in Northern Wu languages, such as Shanghainese or Suzhounese, the syllable is pronounced the same as 勿, despite the existing expected pronunciation

不

1. ^† Alternative form of 否 (“negation and question particle”)

不

1. a surname

不

1. Original form of 柎 (fū, “calyx”).

不

1. (Southern Min) Alternative form of 毋