You already know that 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) are the standard ways to make a sentence negative in Chinese. But sometimes, speakers want to add a stronger, more emotional punch to their negation—especially when correcting, complaining, or showing annoyance. That’s where 又 (yòu) comes in.
Structure:
又 + 不 / 没 + Predicate
Here, 又 doesn’t mean “again” as it usually does. Instead, it emphasizes the negation, almost like saying in English:
“(He) obviously didn’t…”
“(It’s) not at all…”
“Come on, it’s not like…”
This structure often carries a slightly accusatory or annoyed tone, used when pointing out what someone did not do or when rejecting an assumption.
Sample Sentences
他又没说什么。He didn’t say anything (at all)!
你又没帮忙，干吗抱怨？You didn’t even help, so why are you complaining?
我又不是小孩子。I’m not a child, you know!
In a Text
昨天晚上下雨了，朋友们都约好要去唱KTV，可是我没去。其实他们觉得我很奇怪，说什么“大家都去了，你怎么不来？” 可是我心里想：我又不是很喜欢唱歌，也又不擅长唱歌，去了也只是坐在角落里发呆。再说，我最近很累，出去玩又不能让我休息。
回到家以后，我一点也不觉得孤单。我打开电脑，看了一部电影，还泡了一杯热茶。有人说一个人在家会很无聊，可是我又没觉得无聊。相反，我觉得这种安静的时光非常舒服。电影也很好看，剧情又不复杂，却很有意思。
后来朋友给我发消息，说他们玩到半夜两点才回家，还抱怨很累。我心里偷笑：这又不是什么重要的聚会，没去也没什么大不了。人生又不是每天都要跟别人一起热闹才叫快乐。
擅长 (shàncháng): to be good at; to excel in
发呆 (fādāi): to stare blankly; to be lost in thought; to daydream
抱怨 (bàoyuàn): to complain; to grumble
心里偷笑 (xīn lǐ tōuxiào): to snicker secretly; to laugh to oneself; to chuckle inwardly
Last night it rained. My friends had arranged to go sing karaoke, but I didn’t go. They thought I was strange and said, “Everyone’s going, why aren’t you coming?” But I thought to myself: it’s not like I really enjoy singing, and it’s not like I’m good at it either. If I went, I would just sit in the corner daydreaming. Besides, I’ve been very tired lately, and going out isn’t exactly going to let me rest.
When I got home, I didn’t feel lonely at all. I turned on my computer, watched a movie, and made a cup of hot tea. Some people say being at home alone is boring, but I didn’t feel bored at all. On the contrary, I found this kind of quiet time very comfortable. The movie was great too — the plot wasn’t complicated, but it was very interesting.
Later, my friends sent me a message saying they had partied until two in the morning and came home exhausted. I secretly laughed to myself: come on, it’s not like this was some important gathering. Not going really wasn’t a big deal. Life isn’t about being noisy and surrounded by people every single day in order to be happy.
