Grammar
Having & Existing with 有
The verb 有 (yǒu) means both "to have" and "there is / there are". It is one of the most useful verbs in Mandarin.
Possession: "X has Y"
- 我 有 一 本 书。 "I have a book."
- 他 有 三 个 哥哥。 "He has three older brothers."
Existence: "There is Y in X"
Place + 有 + thing.
- 桌子 上 有 一 本 书。 "There is a book on the table."
- 家 里 有 一 只 猫。 "There is a cat at home."
Negation: 没 有, never 不 有
Negate with 没 (méi), not 不:
- ✅ 我 没 有 钱。 "I have no money."
- ✅ 没 有 人。 "There is no one."
- ❌ 我 不 有 钱。
In speech, 有 is often dropped: 我 没 钱。 "I have no money."
Quiz
Pick the best answer for each question. You get feedback right away.
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How do you negate 我 有 钱?
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桌子 上 有 一 本 书 means:
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When does 有 mean "there is/are" rather than "to have"?