Learning how to say “no” in Chinese is essential for everyday conversations. However, Chinese speakers do not always use a single word equivalent to the English “no.” The expression you choose depends on the situation, such as refusing an invitation, disagreeing with someone, saying something is not possible, or politely declining a request.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to say no in Chinese, including common expressions, pronunciation, example sentences, and tips for choosing the right phrase.

1. 不 (bù) – “No” or “Not”

不 (bù) is one of the most important negative words in Mandarin Chinese. It usually means “not” rather than functioning as an independent “no.”

不

For example:

• 我不吃辣。
  Wǒ bù chī là.
  → I don’t eat spicy food.
• 我不知道。
  Wǒ bù zhīdào.
  → I don’t know.
• 我不喜欢。
  Wǒ bù xǐhuan.
  → I don’t like it.

You can sometimes simply say 不！ to mean “No!”, but it can sound quite direct depending on your tone.

2. 不行 (bù xíng) – “No, That Won’t Work”

不行

不行 (bù xíng) literally means “not work” or “not okay.” It is commonly used to refuse something or say that something isn’t possible.

Example:

A: 我可以用你的电脑吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ yòng nǐ de diànnǎo ma?
Can I use your computer?

B: 不行。
Bù xíng.
No, you can’t.

It can sound firm, so use a softer expression when speaking to someone you don’t know well.

3. 不可以 (bù kě yǐ) – “You Can’t” or “Not Allowed”

不可以

不可以 (bù kěyǐ) is used when something is not allowed or permitted.

For example:

• 这里不可以抽烟。
  Zhèlǐ bù kěyǐ chōuyān.
  → You can’t smoke here.
• 你不可以进去。
  Nǐ bù kěyǐ jìnqù.
  → You can’t go inside.

Compared with 不行, 不可以 often emphasizes rules or permission.

4. 不是 (bú shì) – “No, It’s Not”

不是

不是 (bú shì) literally means “is not.” Use it when you want to correct someone’s statement.

For example:

你是学生吗？
Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?
Are you a student?

不是。
Bú shì.
No, I’m not.

Another example:

这是你的书吗？
Zhè shì nǐ de shū ma?
Is this your book?

不是我的。
Bú shì wǒ de.
No, it’s not mine.

Tip: 不 changes pronunciation from bù to bú before a fourth-tone syllable such as 是 (shì).

5. 没有 (méi yǒu) – “No” / “Don’t Have”

没有

没有 (méiyǒu) literally means “not have.” It is used when saying that something doesn’t exist, isn’t available, or you don’t have something.

For example:

• 你有钱吗？
  Nǐ yǒu qián ma?
  Do you have money?
• 没有。
  Méiyǒu.
  No, I don’t.

You can also use it to answer questions about whether something has happened:

• 你吃饭了吗？
  Nǐ chīfàn le ma?
  Have you eaten?
• 还没有。
  Hái méiyǒu.
  Not yet.

6. 不要 (bú yào) – “No, I Don’t Want It” / “Don’t”

不要

不要 (bú yào) can mean “I don’t want it” when refusing something. It can also mean “don’t” when telling someone not to do something.

For example:

• A: 你要咖啡吗？
  Nǐ yào kāfēi ma?
  Do you want coffee?
• B: 不要，谢谢。
  Bú yào, xièxie.
  No, thank you.

As a command:

• 不要说话！
  Bú yào shuōhuà!
  → Don’t talk!

Because 不要 can sound quite strong when used as a command, 不要，谢谢 is generally more appropriate when politely declining an offer.

7. 不用了 (bú yòng le) – “No, Thanks”

不用了

If you’re looking for a polite way to say no in Chinese, 不用了 (bú yòng le) is one of the most useful expressions to learn.

It literally means something like “no need anymore,” but it is often translated as:

• No, thanks.
• It’s okay, thanks.
• I don’t need it.
• That’s not necessary.

For example:

A: 要我帮你吗？
Yào wǒ bāng nǐ ma?
Do you want me to help you?

B: 不用了，谢谢。
Bú yòng le, xièxie.
No, thanks.

This expression is especially useful when you want to refuse an offer without sounding too blunt.

8. 不好意思，不行 (bù hǎo yì si, bù xíng) – “Sorry, No”

不好意思，不行

不好意思 (bù hǎo yìsi) means “sorry” or “excuse me.” Adding it before a refusal makes your response softer.

For example:

不好意思，不行，我今天有事。
Bù hǎo yìsi, bù xíng, wǒ jīntiān yǒu shì.
Sorry, no. I have something to do today.

This is useful when declining a request or invitation.

9. 我不想 (wǒ bù xiǎng) – “I Don’t Want To”

我不想

我不想 (wǒ bù xiǎng) means “I don’t want to” or “I don’t feel like…”

For example:

• 我不想去。
  Wǒ bù xiǎng qù.
  → I don’t want to go.
• 我今天不想出去。
  Wǒ jīntiān bù xiǎng chūqù.
  → I don’t want to go out today.

This is useful when expressing your personal preference rather than simply rejecting someone.

10. 我不太方便 (wǒ bú tài fāngbiàn) – “It’s Not Very Convenient for Me”

我不太方便

When you want to say no indirectly and politely, you can say:

我不太方便。
Wǒ bú tài fāngbiàn.
→ It’s not very convenient for me.

For example:

A: 明天可以帮我搬家吗？
Míngtiān kěyǐ bāng wǒ bānjiā ma?
Can you help me move tomorrow?

B: 不好意思，我不太方便。
Bù hǎo yìsi, wǒ bú tài fāngbiàn.
Sorry, it’s not very convenient for me.

This sounds considerably softer than simply saying 不行.

How to Say “No” Politely in Chinese

Chinese communication often places importance on maintaining harmony and avoiding unnecessarily direct refusals. Therefore, instead of simply saying 不 (bù) or 不行 (bù xíng), you can soften your response with words such as:

• 谢谢 (xièxie) – Thank you
• 不好意思 (bù hǎo yìsi) – Sorry / Excuse me
• 可能不太方便 (kěnéng bú tài fāngbiàn) – It might not be convenient
• 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xièxie) – No, thanks
• 下次吧 (xià cì ba) – Maybe next time

Example

Instead of:

不行。
Bù xíng.
No.

You could say:

不好意思，今天可能不太方便，谢谢你的邀请。
Bù hǎo yìsi, jīntiān kěnéng bú tài fāngbiàn, xièxie nǐ de yāoqǐng.
Sorry, today might not be convenient. Thanks for the invitation.

The second version sounds much more diplomatic.

“No” in Chinese: Which Word Should You Use?

A useful way to remember the differences is:

Situation	Best Expression
General “not”	不 (bù)
Refuse / say something won’t work	不行 (bù xíng)
Say something isn’t allowed	不可以 (bù kěyǐ)
Correct “is/isn’t”	不是 (bú shì)
Say you don’t have something	没有 (méiyǒu)
Refuse an object or offer	不要 (bú yào)
Politely decline	不用了 (bú yòng le)
Politely refuse a request	不好意思，不行
Say you don’t want to do something	我不想 (wǒ bù xiǎng)
Refuse indirectly	我不太方便 (wǒ bú tài fāngbiàn)