adv.
don't; do not
不要
don't; do not
Imperative meaning 'do not' or 'stop doing' (不 not + 要 want/must); say 不要说话 (don't talk) or 我不要 (I don't want it).
Common Usage & Traps
- 不要说话 — don't talk
- 不要走 — don't leave
- 不要给他 — don't give it to him
- 不要动 — don't move
- 不要了 — no more for me (refusing a refill)
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你不要去 (meant: you don't have to go)你不用去不要 in front of a verb is a command, so 你不要去 means 'Don't go!' The word for 'no need' is 不用.
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我不要钱 (meant: I don't have money)我没有钱不要 is about wanting. Saying 我不要钱 announces that you don't want the money at all, which is a very different problem.
If 别 also means 'don't,' why does the old man say 不要给我 instead of 别给我?
Both mean 'don't.' 别 is the casual spoken default, while 不要 sounds firmer and rules the south.
别 is what you snap at a friend mid-motion: 别动！ 别走！ 别碰！ 不要 is correct everywhere too, but it lands a little firmer and more deliberate. In Taiwan and much of southern China, people say 不要 far more often than 别. The old man in the story is refusing money, so 不要给我 reads as a solid, polite no. Reach for 别 in quick everyday warnings, and 不要 when the refusal carries weight.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Snapping at a friend | 别动！ | 不要动！(correct, just stiffer) |
| Refusing an offer | 不要，谢谢。 | 别，谢谢。(别 can't stand alone as 'I don't want it') |
| Taiwan and the south | 不要 | 别 (sounds northern and rough there) |
Can you say 我不要 to mean 'I don't want it'?
Yes, 我不要 really does mean 'I don't want it.' Just keep it away from verbs.
With a thing, 不要 is a plain refusal: 我不要这个。 With an action, 不要 flips into a command: 不要走！ means 'Don't leave!' For 'I don't feel like doing it,' Chinese uses 不想: 我不想去了。 Say 我不要去了 and you sound like a toddler mid-tantrum, or a boss barking orders.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Refusing an object | 我不要这个。 | 我不想这个。 |
| Not feeling like doing something | 我不想去了。 | 我不要去了。(reads like a tantrum) |
| Telling someone to stop | 不要走！ | 不想走！(not a command) |
Does 你不要去 mean 'you don't have to go'?
No, 你不要去 is a hard 'Don't go!' Say 你不用去 for 'no need.'
要 also means 'need to,' so 'you don't need to go' tempts learners into 你不要去。 But 不要 plus a verb always comes out as a straight command: don't do it. 不用 is the everyday word for 'no need': 你不用解释。 你不用等我。 It also handles polite refusals: 不用了，谢谢 waves off a second cup of tea.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Don't go! (command) | 你不要去！ | 你不用去。(means the opposite) |
| You don't have to go | 你不用去。 | 你不要去。 |
| Waving off more tea | 不用了，谢谢。 | 不要了，谢谢。(blunter, fine with close friends) |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
In this warm dialogue, a parent introduces their family at a restaurant. A teacher gently corrects common mistakes about family words and names, making it perfect for HSK 2 learners.
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B：你只有一个儿子，所以 不要 说“大儿子”，也 不要 说“小女儿”，就说“女儿”就好。
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
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你 不要 买太多东西。”
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你 不要 买了。”
This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.
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老先生说：“ 不要 给我。”
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老先生对高先明说：“我说 不要 给我。
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