不要

bù yào

HSK 3.0 Level 1 Adverb Very common

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Definitions

1. don't!
2. must not

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 务必 wù bì 务必 wù bì must “务必”表示必须、一定要，与“不要”含义相反，如“务必准时”与“不要迟到”相对。: must

Synonyms

2 items

• 别 bié 别 bié to leave Both mean 'don't', 别 is more colloquial.: to leave
• 勿 wù 勿 wù do not Formal or literary equivalent, often seen on signs.: do not

Usage notes

Collocations

“不要”常与动词搭配，如“不要说话”“不要迟到”，后面直接跟动词或形容词，不用加“了”。

Formality

In formal written Chinese, 不要 is less common than 勿 (wù) or 禁止 (jìnzhǐ).

Example Sentences

5 shown

不要 泄露别人的秘密。

Do not divulge other people's secrets.

不要 灰心，下次再试试。

Don't lose heart, try again next time.

不要 为这件事担心。

Don't worry about this matter.

不要 失去希望。

Don't lose hope.

不要 浪费粮食。

Don't waste food.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 不要

• 不要紧 不要紧 bù yào jǐn: unimportant
• 不要在一棵树上吊死 不要在一棵树上吊死 bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ: don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)
• 不要脸 不要脸 bù yào liǎn: to have no sense of shame; shameless
• 死不要脸 死不要脸 sǐ bù yào liǎn: to know no shame

Child Words of 不要

• 不 不 bù: no; not so
• 要 要 yāo: (bound form) to demand; to coerce
• 要 要 yào: to want; to need; to ask for