Chinese Character: 没
1. Character Basics
Radical: 氵/水 (shuǐ) - Water radical
Stroke Count: 7 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: méi (Second tone) - \u0022not have; not; no\u0022
Pinyin: mò (Fourth tone) - \u0022submerge; sink; drown; disappear\u0022
3. Meaning
As \u0022méi\u0022 (not have; not; no): Used to indicate absence or negation, similar to \u0022not\u0022 or \u0022don't\u0022 in English.
As \u0022mò\u0022 (submerge; sink; drown; disappear): Used to describe something going under water or becoming hidden from view.
4. Common Words
- 没有 (méiyǒu) - Not have; there isn't/aren't
- 没了 (méile) - Gone; finished
- 没什么 (méishénme) - Nothing; it doesn't matter
- 没日没夜 (méirìméiyè) - Day and night; continuously
- 淹没 (yānmò) - To submerge; to flood
- 没落 (mòluò) - To decline; to fall into decay
- 埋没 (máimò) - To bury; to be ignored or overlooked
- 出没 (chūmò) - To appear and disappear; to haunt
5. Grammar & Usage
As \u0022méi\u0022 (negative): Used before verbs or adjectives to form negatives in the present perfect tense, similar to \u0022have not\u0022 in English. For example, \u0022我没吃饭\u0022 (Wǒ méi chīfàn - I haven't eaten). Also used in \u0022没有\u0022 (méiyǒu) to negate existence or possession.
As \u0022mò\u0022 (verb): Primarily used as a verb meaning \u0022to submerge\u0022 or \u0022to sink\u0022. It is often used in compound words like \u0022淹没\u0022 (yānmò) and \u0022埋没\u0022 (máimò). This pronunciation is less common in everyday speech compared to \u0022méi\u0022.
6. Cultural Background
The character \u0022没\u0022 reflects important aspects of Chinese language and culture. As a negation word (méi), it plays a crucial role in daily communication, showing how Chinese expresses absence and denial. The water radical (氵) in its structure connects to its other meaning (mò) of submersion, reflecting the historical importance of water in Chinese civilization, from agriculture to transportation. The dual pronunciation and meaning demonstrate the complexity and richness of Chinese character development over time.
7. Example Sentence
Example with \u0022méi\u0022:
中文：我没有钱。
拼音：Wǒ méiyǒu qián.
English：I don't have money.
Example with \u0022mò\u0022:
中文：洪水淹没了村庄。
拼音：Hóngshuǐ yānmò le cūnzhuāng.
English：The flood submerged the village.
8. Memory Tips
To remember the character \u0022没\u0022, note that it consists of the water radical (氵) on the left and the character \u0022殳\u0022 (shū) on the right. The water radical connects to its meaning \u0022mò\u0022 (to submerge). For the more common pronunciation \u0022méi\u0022 (not have), think of it as \u0022water has not...\u0022 - associating the water radical with absence. The dual meaning and pronunciation can be remembered by practicing examples for both uses until they become familiar. Writing the character repeatedly can also help reinforce your memory of its seven-stroke structure.