Meaning of 有事
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to be occupied with sth
- to have sth on one's mind
- there is something the matter
How to use 有事
People use 有事 to say they are busy or can't come, and to ask if something is wrong. You will often hear it when someone turns down an invitation or wants your attention. Example: 我今天晚上有事，不能去。(Wǒ jīntiān wǎnshang yǒushì, bù néng qù.) I have something on tonight, so I can't go.
有事 is simply 有 (yǒu, to have) plus 事 (shì, matter or thing). If you "have a matter," you are busy, something is on your mind, or something is wrong.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 有事 (yǒushì) with 有时 (yǒushí, sometimes). They sound almost the same, but 事 is fourth tone and 时 is second tone. Also, 没事 (méishì) is the usual negative, not 不有事.
有事 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
有 yǒu · to have · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
事 shì · matter · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 有事.
| 没有 | méiyǒu | haven't; hasn't |
| 还有 | hái yǒu | there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition |
| 有些 | yǒuxiē | some; somewhat; rather; a bit |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work |
| 有的 | yǒude | (there are) some (who are...); some (exist) |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 事情 | shìqing | affair; matter; thing; business |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
Questions about 有事
What does 有事 mean?
有事 (yǒushì) means "to be occupied with sth; to have sth on one's mind" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 有事?
有事 is made of 2 characters: 有 (6 strokes), 事 (8 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 有事 an HSK word?
Yes. 有事 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 你有事吗 mean?
你有事吗？(Nǐ yǒushì ma?) means "Do you need something?" or "Is something up?" It is a common way to answer a call or respond when someone comes to find you. Said in a cold tone, it can sound like "What do you want?"
How do I say I'm fine or it's nothing?
Use 没事 (méishì). For example, 我没事。(Wǒ méishì.) means "I'm okay." 没事 can also mean "no problem" when someone thanks you or apologizes.