别 / 不要 (bié / búyào): How to Say “Don't” (Commands)
To tell someone “don't [do something]”, Chinese puts 别 (bié) or 不要 (búyào) before the verb. They mean the same — 别 is quicker and more spoken, 不要 a touch more explicit.
Why this trips learners up
To tell someone “don't” do something in Chinese, you have two words, and they do the same job: 别 (bié) and 不要 (búyào). Both go straight in front of the verb, with the subject usually dropped just like an English command: 别走 / 不要走 (“Don't leave”), 别担心 / 不要担心 (“Don't worry”). 别 is the snappier, more spoken one (think of it as a contraction of 不要); 不要 is a little more explicit — the kind you see on signs.
The trap isn't choosing between them — it's reaching for the wrong negator entirely. A command is not plain 不: 不走 means “(I) won't go”, a statement about what someone does, not an order. And it's never 没 (that negates the past — 没走 = “didn't leave”). For “don't [do it]”, it's 别 or 不要, full stop. (One pronunciation note: 不要 is said búyào — the 不 shifts from bù to bú before the falling-tone 要.)
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
bié 别 Pattern pǎo 跑 Verb
Don't run!
búyào 不要 Pattern dānxīn 担心 Verb
Don't worry.
bié 别 Pattern pèng 碰 Verb nàge 那个 Object
Don't touch that.
búyào 不要 Pattern wàngjì 忘记 Verb yàoshi 钥匙 Object
Don't forget your keys.
nǐ 你 Subject bié 别 Pattern jǐnzhāng 紧张 Verb
Don't be nervous.
kāichē 开车 Verb de shíhou 的时候 Time búyào 不要 Pattern dǎ 打 Verb diànhuà 电话 Object
Don't make calls while driving.
zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb mìmì 秘密 Object bié 别 Pattern gàosu 告诉 Verb biérén 别人 Object
This is a secret — don't tell anyone.
nǐ 你 Subject lèi 累 Adjective de shíhou 的时候 Time búyào 不要 Pattern zuò 做 Verb zhòngyào de 重要的 Adjective juédìng 决定 Object
When you're tired, don't make important decisions.
Common mistakes
Why it happens: A “don't” command isn't plain 不. 不走 means “(someone) won't / doesn't go” — a statement, not an order. To tell someone not to leave, it's 别走 or 不要走. Plain 不 describes; 别/不要 command.
Why it happens: 别 already means “don't” — it's essentially a contraction of 不要 — so the two never stack. “Don't leave” is 别走 or 不要走, never 别不要走. Pick one.
Why it happens: A command never uses 没. 没 is the past negator (没碰 = “didn't touch”), so 没碰那个 says “(I) didn't touch that”. To tell someone not to touch it, it's 别碰那个. For “don't”, stick to 别 / 不要.
Compare & contrast
| 别 — quick & spoken | 不要 — explicit | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 别走。bié zǒu. | 不要走。búyào zǒu. | 别走 and 不要走 are the same command, “Don't leave.” 别 is the punchier, everyday-speech version; 不要 spells it out a little more. |
| 别担心。bié dānxīn. | 不要担心。búyào dānxīn. | 别担心 / 不要担心 — both “Don't worry.” Use whichever; in conversation 别 is the more common reach. |
Try it yourself
Say “Don't play on your phone” — tap the words into order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
别 / 不要 (bié / búyào): How to Say “Don't” (Commands) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.