Lesson 15: The 有 sentence

The 有 sentence expresses possession: A 有 B, A 没有 B, A 有没有 B?

Hanyu textbook · Hanyu 1 · Lesson 15

你有没有姐姐？

Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu jiějie?

Do you have an older sister?

Explanation

(1) The “有” sentence expresses possession. Affirmative form: A + 有 + B; negative form: A + 没 + 有 + B; affirmative-negative question form: A + 有没有 + B ？

(2) The “有” sentence can also express existence.

Structure

1
A有B
Affirmative form (possession).
- 你有自行车吗？
  Nǐ yǒu zìxíngchē ma?
  Do you have a bicycle?
- 我有词典。
  Wǒ yǒu cídiǎn.
  I have a dictionary.
- 我有中国朋友。
  Wǒ yǒu Zhōngguó péngyou.
  I have Chinese friends.
- 你家有几口人？
  Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
  How many people are there in your family?
- 你们公司有多少职员？
  Nǐmen gōngsī yǒu duōshao zhíyuán?
  How many employees does your company have?
2
A没有B
Negative form.
- 我没有姐姐。
  Wǒ méiyǒu jiějie.
  I don't have an older sister.
- 他没有哥哥和妹妹。
  Tā méiyǒu gēge hé mèimei.
  He has no older brother or younger sister.
- 我没有自行车。
  Wǒ méiyǒu zìxíngchē.
  I don't have a bicycle.
3
A有没有B ？
Affirmative-negative question form.
- 你有没有姐姐？
  Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu jiějie?
  Do you have an older sister?
- 他有没有中文杂志？
  Tā yǒu méiyǒu Zhōngwén zázhì?
  Does he have a Chinese-language magazine?
- 你有没有中国地图？
  Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu Zhōngguó dìtú?
  Do you have a map of China?

Usage notes

Question: 你有自行车吗？ — Answer: 有。 · 你有没有姐姐？ — Answer: 没有。(我没有姐姐。)

Practice

19 questions in 2 sets. One at a time, checked instantly, with explanations.

Start practice