沒 meaning and stroke order
Not, none, gone; to bury; to sink, to drown
How to write 沒, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 沒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
- drowned
- to end
- to die
- to inundate
How 沒 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沒
沒 has the water radical 氵 on the left, pointing to its older meaning of sinking or drowning (mò). Picture something going under the water and disappearing: now there is none, which gives the everyday meaning méi, "not have."
沒 is the traditional form of 没. As méi, it negates 有 (yǒu) and marks actions that did not happen in the past, as in 我沒去 (wǒ méi qù), "I didn't go." Common phrases include 沒有 (méiyǒu) and 沒關係 (méi guānxi), "it doesn't matter."
Common mistake: Learners often use 不 (bù) for past actions, saying 我昨天不去 instead of 我昨天沒去 (wǒ zuótiān méi qù). Also note that 有 is always negated with 沒, never 不, so 不有 is wrong.
Common words with 沒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 沒有 | méiyǒu | haven't; hasn't | HSK 1 |
| 沒什麼 | méi shénme | it doesn't matter; it's nothing; never mind; think nothing of it; it's my pleasure; you're | HSK 1 |
| 沒關係 | méi guānxi | it doesn't matter | HSK 1 |
| 沒事兒 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work | HSK 1 |
| 沒用 | méiyòng | useless | HSK 3 |
| 沒錯 | méi cuò | that's right; sure! | HSK 4 |
| 沒想到 | méi xiǎngdào | didn't expect | HSK 4 |
| 沒法兒 | méifǎr | (coll.) can't do anything about it; (coll.) there's no way that ...; it's simply not credi | HSK 4 |
| 有沒有 | yǒu méiyǒu | (before a noun) Do (you, they etc) have ...?; Is there a ...? | HSK 6 |
| 從沒 | cóng méi | never (in the past); never did | HSK 6 |
| 沒收 | mòshōu | to confiscate; to seize | HSK 6 |
| 沒意思 | méi yìsi | boring; of no interest | HSK 7-9 |
| 沒完沒了 | méiwán-méiliǎo | without end; incessantly | HSK 7-9 |
| 沒勁 | méijìn | to have no strength; to feel weak | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 沒
How many strokes are in 沒?
沒 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 沒 mean?
沒 (méi) means not, none, gone; to bury; to sink, to drown. A common word with it is 没有 (méiyǒu), meaning "haven't; hasn't".
How do you pronounce 沒?
沒 is pronounced méi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 沒?
The radical of 沒 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沒 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 沒?
沒 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 没, used in mainland China and Singapore.
When is 沒 pronounced mò instead of méi?
It is read mò in literary or formal words about sinking, flooding, or disappearing, such as 沉沒 (chénmò, to sink) and 淹沒 (yānmò, to flood). In everyday speech you will almost always hear méi.
Can 沒 be used alone without 有?
Yes. Before a verb, 沒 alone often means the same as 沒有, as in 他沒來 (tā méi lái), "he didn't come." At the end of a sentence or as a short answer, speakers usually say 沒有 in full, as in 你吃了沒有 (nǐ chī le méiyǒu).