不 (bù) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

不

bù[bu4]Tone 4

not; no

HSK 1

Guru Deep Dive

English · not; no

Cached lesson

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Topology:Single character

Strokes:4

Writing Balance Rule: Center the vertical stem firmly down the middle and ensure the left and right diagonal feet splay outward symmetrically to give the character stability.

1. Meaning

not; no

un- (prefix)negative prefix for verbs and adjectives

AdverbNeutralBound morpheme#negation#grammar#general

Sample Usage

我不知道。
wǒ bù zhī dào.
I don't know.
这不是我的书。
zhè shì bú wǒ de shū.
This is not my book.

2. Sound

/[pu⁵¹]/Tone: 51

不

bùbu4

`(51)

=bù

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Bilabial

Sounds like: English b sound

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. A tissue in front of lips should stay still.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Both lips pressed together lightly and released with voice.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: oo sound as in boot

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply, just like saying 'No!' in English when you are firmly refusing something.

Sandhi: When followed by another 4th tone syllable, bù changes to a 2nd tone (bú), e.g., bú shì.

👂

Listening trap: Beginners often mistake the 4th tone drop for a flat English statement. Ensure the pitch starts high and plunges quickly.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, decisive downward chop with your hand, mirroring the falling drop of Tone 4.

3. Writing

Topology: Single character · Strokes: 4 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Center the vertical stem firmly down the middle and ensure the left and right diagonal feet splay outward symmetrically to give the character stability.

4. Components

Radical 一 · One Radical (one, horizontal line)

Originally depicted a bird flying upwards without coming down, or a floral bud refusing to open. Visually, it features a top horizontal line representing a barrier, a vertical drop, and two symmetrical side hooks.

一 Top horizontal line representing a ceiling or boundary
丨 Vertical stroke piercing through

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

8· Phonetic Root: 不 (bù)

5. History

Liushu category: Pictogram (象形)

Origin: In Oracle Bone script, 不 originally depicted a bird flying straight up into the sky without returning (or alternatively, a calyx or root of a plant). Over time, it was borrowed to represent the abstract concept of negation.

Semantic Evolution: From its ancient root meaning a bird flying away and disappearing (not here), it settled entirely into the grammatical function of negation ('not').

It is one of the most frequently used characters in the entire Chinese language.
Its tone sandhi rule (changing to 2nd tone before another 4th tone) is one of the earliest phonetic adjustments learners must master.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: フ (fu), ブ (bu)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

불

Sound Shift Bridge: The bilabial stop 'b' matches the Japanese 'bu/fu' and Korean 'bul' in Sino-Xenic vocabulary contexts.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a stubborn bird trying to fly up through a ceiling barrier (一), but it flaps its wings and says 'BU! (NO!)' as it drops straight back down.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

杯

bēicupAdd wood (木) on the left for a wooden cup.

坏

huàibad, brokenAdd earth (土) on the left for broken earth/ruined.

还

háistill, alsoAdd movement radical (辶) for returning or going still.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

木(mù)

木 (wood) has a diamond shape at the bottom with roots and branches, whereas 不 has two splayed feet pointing outwards.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

我[___]去北京。

Clue: bù

Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting to change the tone to a 2nd tone (bú) when it precedes another 4th tone syllable (e.g., pronouncing it bù shì instead of bú shì).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 不, what is its primary meaning and tone?

Production: How do you write the 4-stroke character for 'not' / 'no', and what is its tone sandhi rule before a 4th tone?

不bùnot; no

Speed:

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