never; not without
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesadverb
never; not once; without ever
Used to indicate that something has never happened or been done. Often appears in written or formal contexts.
Tā他
zhōng终
yè夜
wèi未
cháng尝
hé合
yǎn眼
。
He didn't sleep a wink all night long.
Cǐ此
zhǒng种
qíng情
kuàng况
zài在
lì历
shǐ史
shàng上
wèi未
cháng尝
yǒu有
guò过
。
Such a situation has never occurred in history.
adverb
not without; not... not (used in double negation to convey mild affirmation)
formalPlaced before negative words such as 不 or 没有 to create a double negative. This construction softens the tone and expresses a cautious or polite affirmation, similar to 'not without merit' or 'not infrequently' in English.
Zhè这
wèi未
cháng尝
bù不
shì是
yī一
gè个
hǎo好
jiàn建
yì议
。
This is not without merit as a suggestion.
Nǐ你
de的
bàn办
fǎ法
gù固
rán然
hěn很
hǎo好
，
dàn但
shì是
yě也
wèi未
cháng尝
méi没
yǒu有
quē缺
diǎn点
。
Your method is certainly good, but it is not without flaws either.
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Zhè这
yàng样
zuò做
wèi未
cháng尝
bù不
kě可
。
There is no harm in doing it this way.