# Don't buy that book.



## maghanish2

Hello everyone!  你好!

I am very confused with forming imperative commands in Chinese.  I have heard three different forms:

不要, 毋, 別 are the different ones that I have heard of.  And then I think I have also seen simply 不.  Are all correct or do they have different meanings (is one polite, maybe?)?

For the sentence I want to translate, what would be the best way to do it?

My try is:

毋/不要/別買那本書.

I am still confused so thanks for the help!

謝謝!


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## chocomousse

Hi Maghanish, 

As you said they are synonymous.

不要 & 別 are interchangeable, and they are both used in oral and written Chinese.
毋, and 勿（the same pronunciation as 毋) are usually used in formal written Chinese, especially in historic literature.

For your second question:
you could either say 不要買那本書，or 別買那本書 both in speech and your essay, but 毋買那本書sound a little bit weird for me, because it doen't sound like contemporary Chinese.

hope this would be helpful.


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## Jamison

I agree with chocomousse's opinion. In addition, 毋 is seldom used in China at present, just as he said, it is often used in ancient writings.

Wish it could help.


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## maghanish2

Thank you so much!

So 不要 and 別 are equally common, but 毋 is more formal or literary? 

And then what about simply 不and not 不要? Is that ever used?

I'm glad that there are so many people to help!

謝謝.


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## chocomousse

Hi Maghanish,

firstly, 毋 is more literary and rarely used in modern Chinese.

for your second question about 不 and 不要, (and 別）, they are quite similar in meaning, but if I put the word in the sentence you gave us, I think there might be some tiny differences.

If you say "我不買那本書",  what you concentrate on is *the course of action*, that means " I *won't *buy that book."

However if you say "*我不要*買那本書", it's more likely you try to say " I don't *intend to* buy that book."In other case, when you say "*你不要*買那本書*！”*, that means you try to prevent someone from buying the book. 

to add one more point, people rarely say "*我別*買那本書", because “別”is often used when you give suggestions (you don't give suggestions to yourself right?. if you say "別買那本書", it's sort of your suggestion, like " I don't recommend that book."

Hope what I said is helpful and hope i didn't confuse you. I'm not sure if my answers are 100% correct, and I hope other Chinese native speakers add their opinions as well. Thanks


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## Jamison

chocomousse said:


> Hi Maghanish,
> 
> firstly, 毋 is more literary and rarely used in modern Chinese.
> 
> for your second question about 不 and 不要, (and 別）, they are quite similar in meaning, but if I put the word in the sentence you gave us, I think there might be some tiny differences.
> 
> If you say "我不買那本書", what you concentrate on is *the course of action*, that means " I *won't *buy that book."
> 
> However if you say "*我不要*買那本書", it's more likely you try to say " I don't *intend to* buy that book."In other case, when you say "*你不要*買那本書*！”*, that means you try to prevent someone from buying the book.
> 
> to add one more point, people rarely say "*我別*買那本書", because “別”is often used when you give suggestions (you don't give suggestions to yourself right?. if you say "別買那本書", it's sort of your suggestion, like " I don't recommend that book."
> 
> Hope what I said is helpful and hope i didn't confuse you. I'm not sure if my answers are 100% correct, and I hope other Chinese native speakers add their opinions as well. Thanks


 
Exactly. '别' often used to give suggestions *to others*, in English, it likes '*urge* others not to do something'. Such as '别这样', '别去干傻事', ‘别买那件衣服'.


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## maghanish2

chocomousse said:


> Hi Maghanish,
> 
> firstly, 毋 is more literary and rarely used in modern Chinese.
> 
> for your second question about 不 and 不要, (and 別）, they are quite similar in meaning, but if I put the word in the sentence you gave us, I think there might be some tiny differences.
> 
> If you say "我不買那本書", what you concentrate on is *the course of action*, that means " I *won't *buy that book."
> 
> However if you say "*我不要*買那本書", it's more likely you try to say " I don't *intend to* buy that book."In other case, when you say "*你不要*買那本書*！”*, that means you try to prevent someone from buying the book.
> 
> to add one more point, people rarely say "*我別*買那本書", because “別”is often used when you give suggestions (you don't give suggestions to yourself right?. if you say "別買那本書", it's sort of your suggestion, like " I don't recommend that book."
> 
> Hope what I said is helpful and hope i didn't confuse you. I'm not sure if my answers are 100% correct, and I hope other Chinese native speakers add their opinions as well. Thanks


 
Thanks so much!  So let me see if I understand.

"我不要買那本書" means something like *I don't want to buy the book*.  Is that true?

But then if I say 不要買那本書, then I am commanding someone to NOT buy the book, correct?  Or I am suggesting that they don't buy it.

But if I say 不買那本書 then it doesn't make sense?

Thanks again for the help!  It's very useful.


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## xiaolijie

maghanish2 said:


> "我不要買那本書" means something like *I don't want to buy the book*. Is that true?
> But then if I say 不要買那本書, then I am commanding someone to NOT buy the book, correct? Or I am suggesting that they don't buy it.
> But if I say 不買那本書 then it doesn't make sense?


I think maghanish's quote above raises interesting questions, and I came up with the paradigms below:

1. 
我不买那本書 
你不买那本書
他不买那本書

2.
我别买那本書
你别买那本書
他别买那本書

3.
我不要卖那本書
你不要卖那本書
他不要卖那本書

I can see from the paradigms that _some of the sentences are clearly not acceptable, while other the meaning may be slightly different from the rest within the same paradigms_. I think therefore it would be very helpful to learners if native speakers could please mark the unacceptable sentences (by putting an x against them), and comment on any change of meaning of the sentences within the same paradigms.

Cheers,


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## BODYholic

All the above sentences (including "我别买那本書") are grammatically correct, therefore acceptable, in Chinese. The only thing that is lacking is context, although some are rare compare to the others.


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## chocomousse

1. 
我不買那本書: I don't buy that book
你不買那本書: You don't buy that book
他不買那本書: He doesn't buy that book

2.
我别買那本書 (We rarely use this sentence)
你别買那本書: I suggest you should not buy the book (similar to 我建議你不要買那本書）
他别買那本書 (We rarely use it without certain context, maybe we could say in this way 你告訴他別買那本書，means pls tell him not to buy the book)

3.
我不要買那本書: I don't want to buy that book
你不要買那本書: Either " You don't want to buy that book" or " I suggest you should not buy the book (similar to 你別買那本書）
他不要買那本書: He doesn't want to buy that book

When 你+不要，it could mean suggest not doing something.

Hope it would be helpful.

Cheers


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## chocomousse

2 more things to point out

1. Xiaolijie, if you say "我不要*卖*那本書“， what you mean is “I don't want to *SELL* the book." compare with "*买*”， which means "*BUY*".

2. *买 & 卖 *are simplied Chinese, while *書* is traditional Chinese, so they are not supposed to be used simultaneously.

The traditional form of 买 is 買，and the traditional form of 卖 is 賣，pls be careful with these two characters, because they are a bit easy to be confused.


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## maghanish2

Thanks for the replies!  In these two examples:

你别買那本書你不要買那本書

Is it possible to leave out the 你 and still have the sentence make sense?  Also, for the second one, how do you know when it means "you don't buy" or a suggestion "don't buy"?

謝謝!


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## enchinya

maghanish2 said:


> Thanks for the replies!  In these two examples:
> Is it possible to leave out the 你 and still have the sentence make sense?  Also, for the second one, how do you know when it means "you don't buy" or a suggestion "don't buy"?



If you are in a conversation, of course you can leave out the 你 to say 不要/别買那本書 to simply mean "Don't buy that book". I think when you say it to someone you are addressing to, it's always a suggestion. 

If you want to say "you don't buy that book", just simply say 你不買那本書, which doesn't bear the meaning of suggestion.


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## Polak2008

I have often
请勿
in sentences like "please do not"
请勿踩草
or something like that.


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## Boileau419

*甭买这本书 is also used quite a lot in Peking *

*beng (second tone) means "no need to" don't bother to"*


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## Aoyama

> *甭买这本书 is also used quite a lot in Peking *


对了。
In fact, to make things simple (one should), there are basically TWO options :
-你别买这/那本书 这＝this,那=that (book)
-phrase above proposed by Boileau
(你）不要买 ... would be more like : you should not buy ...


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## BODYholic

Boileau419 said:


> *甭买这本书 is also used quite a lot in Peking *
> 
> *beng (second tone) means "no need to" don't bother to"*



Just a few points to note on the word "*甭*"
- It is a strong word.
- It has a slight negative connotation.
- We rarely say "*甭**买*". It is more commonly use in "(更)*甭*提", "(更)*甭*说" & etc.
- This word is hardly use in Singapore.


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## Aoyama

甭 is originally a contraction of 不用 (bu yong), literally meaning "it's no use/not useful, you don't have to, no need to", so , saying 甭买这本书 would mean : "you don't have to/you should not buy this book (it would be of no use/unecessary).


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