Mandarin Negation Fragment

@cite{miestamo-2005} @cite{dryer-haspelmath-2013} @cite{zhao-2025}

Mandarin Chinese has two standard negation particles:

Particle	Domain	Symmetric?
不 bù	General (non-perfective)	Yes
没(有) méi(yǒu)	Perfective / existential	No (A/Fin)

SymAsy: Symmetric and Asymmetric

WALS classifies Mandarin as both symmetric and asymmetric:

• Symmetric: 不 bù negation simply adds the particle before the verb, with no structural change. Available across tenses and moods.

• Asymmetric (A/Fin): 没(有) méi(yǒu) is restricted to perfective/ existential contexts and introduces a finiteness-like change: it is incompatible with certain aspect markers (e.g., 了 le perfective). The bù/méi split itself constitutes an asymmetry — the choice of negator depends on aspect, unlike in the affirmative.

Connection to AspectComparison

The méi(yǒu) entry connects to Fragments.Mandarin.AspectComparison, where it is formalized as a cross-domain particle (negative perfective / not-exceed-threshold).

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buParticle : String

The general negation particle.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buParticle = "bù"

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiParticle : String

The perfective/existential negation particle.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiParticle = "méi"

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiyouParticle : String

The full form of perfective negation.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiyouParticle = "méi-yǒu"

structure Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.NegExample : Type

A Mandarin negation example.

• affirmative : String
• negative : String
• glossAff : String
• glossNeg : String
• negator : String

  Which negation particle is used

• symmetric : Bool

  Is this construction symmetric (neg = aff + neg marker, no other change)?

instance Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegExample : Repr NegExample

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegExample = { reprPrec := Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegExample.repr }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegExample.repr : NegExample → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

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instance Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegExample : BEq NegExample

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegExample = { beq := Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegExample.beq }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegExample.beq : NegExample → NegExample → Bool

Equations

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• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegExample.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buPresent : NegExample

不 bù + present/habitual: symmetric.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buPresent = { affirmative := "tā chī", negative := "tā bù chī", glossAff := "3SG eat", glossNeg := "3SG NEG eat", negator := "bù", symmetric := true }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buStative : NegExample

不 bù + stative: symmetric.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buStative = { affirmative := "tā gāo", negative := "tā bù gāo", glossAff := "3SG tall", glossNeg := "3SG NEG tall", negator := "bù", symmetric := true }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buFuture : NegExample

不 bù + future/modal: symmetric.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiPerfective : NegExample

没(有) méi(yǒu) + perfective: asymmetric. The perfective marker 了 le is dropped under negation.

Equations

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def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiExistential : NegExample

没(有) méi(yǒu) + existential: asymmetric. 有 yǒu 'have/exist' can only be negated with 没, not 不.

Equations

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def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.allExamples : List NegExample

Equations

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structure Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.NegatorDistribution : Type

Which negation particle applies in which aspectual context.

• context : String
• negator : String

instance Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegatorDistribution : Repr NegatorDistribution

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegatorDistribution = { reprPrec := Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegatorDistribution.repr }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprNegatorDistribution.repr : NegatorDistribution → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

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instance Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegatorDistribution : BEq NegatorDistribution

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegatorDistribution = { beq := Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegatorDistribution.beq }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegatorDistribution.beq : NegatorDistribution → NegatorDistribution → Bool

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegatorDistribution.beq { context := a, negator := a_1 } { context := b, negator := b_1 } = (a == b && a_1 == b_1)
• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqNegatorDistribution.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.negatorContexts : List NegatorDistribution

Equations

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Verification

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buParticle_is_bu : buParticle = "bù"

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiParticle_is_mei : meiParticle = "méi"

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.all_examples_count : allExamples.length = 5

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.bu_symmetric_mei_asymmetric : ((List.filter (fun (x : NegExample) => x.negator == "bù") allExamples).all fun (x : NegExample) => x.symmetric) = true ∧ ((List.filter (fun (e : NegExample) => e.negator == "méi" || e.negator == "méi-yǒu") allExamples).all fun (e : NegExample) => !e.symmetric) = true

The bù constructions are symmetric; the méi constructions are not.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.symasy_distribution : (List.filter (fun (x : NegExample) => x.symmetric) allExamples).length = 3 ∧ (List.filter (fun (e : NegExample) => !e.symmetric) allExamples).length = 2

3 symmetric + 2 asymmetric constructions = SymAsy.

Bridge to AspectComparison

The méi-yǒu entry in AspectComparison formalizes the same particle as a cross-domain negative perfective.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.meiyou_matches_aspect_comparison : AspectComparison.meiyou.hanzi = "没有" ∧ AspectComparison.meiyou.pinyin = "méi-yǒu"

Expletive Negation

@cite{jin-koenig-2021}

Mandarin EN negators show striking trigger-class covariation: different trigger classes select different expletive negators, and the choice is semantically motivated.

Trigger class	EN negator	Gloss	Note
FEAR	别 bié	don't (imperative)	Neither 不 nor 没 allowed
FEAR	不要 búyào	not-want (imp.)	Neither 不 nor 没 allowed
REGRET	不该 bùgāi	shouldn't (deontic)	Must include deontic modal
COMPLAIN	不该 bùgāi	shouldn't (deontic)	Must include deontic modal
DENY	不 bù	NEG (general)	Standard negator
BEFORE	不 bù	NEG (general)	Via 以前 yǐqián
ALMOST	没 méi	NEG (perfective)	Via 差点儿 chàdiǎnr

The imperative negators bié/búyào for FEAR connect to the desiderative semantics: fear activates the desire for ¬p, and the imperative form lexicalizes the prohibition component.

The deontic negator bùgāi for REGRET/COMPLAIN connects to the behavioral-standards semantics: the negative inference is that ¬p is consistent with X's standards, i.e., p shouldn't have happened.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.bieParticle : String

Mandarin imperative negation particle (used as EN for FEAR).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.bieParticle = "bié"

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buyaoParticle : String

Mandarin imperative negation 'not-want' (used as EN for FEAR).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.buyaoParticle = "búyào"

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.bugaiParticle : String

Mandarin deontic negation 'shouldn't' (used as EN for REGRET/COMPLAIN).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.bugaiParticle = "bùgāi"

structure Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.ENTriggerNegator : Type

An expletive negation marker and its trigger context.

• triggerClass : String

  The trigger class label (from @cite{jin-koenig-2021} Table 5)

• triggerForm : String

  Mandarin trigger lexical item

• enNegatorForm : String

  EN negator form (pinyin)

• enNegatorGloss : String

  EN negator gloss

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprENTriggerNegator.repr : ENTriggerNegator → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

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instance Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprENTriggerNegator : Repr ENTriggerNegator

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprENTriggerNegator = { reprPrec := Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instReprENTriggerNegator.repr }

instance Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqENTriggerNegator : BEq ENTriggerNegator

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqENTriggerNegator = { beq := Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqENTriggerNegator.beq }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqENTriggerNegator.beq : ENTriggerNegator → ENTriggerNegator → Bool

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
• Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.instBEqENTriggerNegator.beq x✝¹ x✝ = false

def Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.enTriggerNegators : List ENTriggerNegator

EN trigger-negator pairings from @cite{jin-koenig-2021}, Table 5 and §6.1–6.4.

Equations

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theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.fear_uses_imperative_neg : ((List.filter (fun (x : ENTriggerNegator) => x.triggerClass == "FEAR") enTriggerNegators).all fun (x : ENTriggerNegator) => x.enNegatorForm == "bié") = true

FEAR triggers use imperative negators, not the standard bù or méi. This connects to the desiderative semantics: fear activates desire for ¬p, and imperative negation lexicalizes prohibition (@cite{jin-koenig-2021}, §6.1.1, ex. 14).

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Negation.regret_uses_deontic_neg : ((List.filter (fun (e : ENTriggerNegator) => e.triggerClass == "REGRET" || e.triggerClass == "COMPLAIN") enTriggerNegators).all fun (x : ENTriggerNegator) => x.enNegatorForm == "bùgāi") = true

REGRET/COMPLAIN triggers use the deontic negator bùgāi 'shouldn't'. This connects to the behavioral-standards semantics: ¬p is consistent with X's standards → p shouldn't have happened (@cite{jin-koenig-2021}, §6.1.2).