# 不 / 没



## Luke997

Hello everyone!

I need help understanding the differences between 不 and 没 because they are not clear at all to me.

For example in this sentence I can’t understand why there’s 不 and not 没

因为我在开会，所以不能接你的电话。

My textbook uses the past tens for the verbs in the sentence above， that’s why I don’t get the use of 不.
According to what I’ve learnt it should be 没能, shouldn’t it ?


Any help would be really appreciated


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## SimonTsai

沒能 is not necessarily wrong in Taiwan, but, by replacing 不 with 沒, you probably alter the meaning or implication:

不能: You are unable or forbidden to do something.
沒能: You wanted but failed or were not allowed to do something.


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## retrogradedwithwind

不和没：

⑴“不”用于表达个人意愿，常与“是、像、应该、知道”联用表判断估计或认知。如，
不是我们不让他去。
“没”常用于客观叙述，否定某行为已经发生。如 ，
他刚才没吸烟。
⑵“不”否定的是事物的某种性质状态；“没”否定的是性质状态发生的变化。如，
①这些苹果不红。
②这些苹果还没有红。
⑶“不”可指过去、现在和将来。“没”限于指过去和现在，不能指将来。如，
①以前他没有去过。/前天他没有去。/今天他没有来。（客观叙述）
②前天请他他不来，现在不请他他更不来了。（主观意愿）


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## Keava

To the best of my knowledge,the word "没”is usually used in past tense.
For example, 我没去-I didn't go,我没看见-I didn't see.
But “不...” is sort of refuse to do sth, or people can't do sth .


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## Luke997

Thank you for your quick replies, but I still don’t get it because when I started learning Chinese I was taught that 没 is used for past tenses... then why did I find it with 能 in that sentence?
Is it possible that the verb 能 needs 不 and not 没 to form its past tense ( I was not able to... ) ?


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## SimonTsai

> I am sorry that I failed to save your husband.
> I am sorry that I couldn't save your husband.


沒能將你的丈夫救回，我很抱歉。 You wanted to save him but failed.
不能將你的丈夫救回，我很抱歉。 You might say this without trying to save him.


> I couldn't reply to you because I was in class then.


我當時正在上課，所以沒能回你。 You wanted but were not allowed to reply to him.
我當時正在上課，所以不能回你。 You might say this without wanting to reply to him.


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## fyl

因为我在开会，所以不能接你的电话。
因为我在开会，所以没能接你的电话。
Both sentences are correct. The second one usually implies the past tense, whereas the first one can be in the past and can also be present.


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## Broccolee

你的句子里用“不能”和“没能”都可以。
“不能”和“没能”的用法和你说的过去式没有任何关系！
个人观点：
不能=(absolutely) can‘t
Note: ‘Absolutely’ is definitely not necessary. I just want this word to help you understand.
没能=(for some reason) can’t
Note: It conveys a connotation that I should have done it but I can’t.
So:
因为我在开会，所以不能接你电话。
If a speaker says it in this way, he/she somewhat means that:
Because I was attending a meeting and if I attend a meeting I can’t do this because it is not a good manner or whatsoever. So, I cannot reply. It’s a rule not to do anything else in a meeting.
因为我在开会，所以没能接你电话。
If a speaker says it in this way, he/she somewhat means that:
I should have replied your phone call but I was attending a meeting. So it was really a coincidence. Anyway, please forgive me. I was really occupied at that time and I wasn’t able to do so.


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## brofeelgood

One way to explain 没X is:
1) X (noun) is not available/present/in existence, e.g. no possibility (没可能), no use (没用), no way (没办法).
2) Did not X (verb), e.g. did not die (没死), did not see (没看见), did not say (没说).

能: can/able to/possible to/possibility
没能: not have the possibility to... (1)
不能: not possible, cannot... (2)


Luke997 said:


> 因为我在开会，所以*不能*接你的电话。


It was not possible (for me) to take your call.


Luke997 said:


> 因为我在开会，所以*没能*接你的电话。


There was no possibility (for me) to take your call.

There's no real difference between the two.


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## Broccolee

brofeelgood said:


> One way to explain 没X is:
> 1) X (noun) is not available/present/in existence, e.g. no possibility (没可能), no use (没用), no way (没办法).
> 2) Did not X (verb), e.g. did not die (没死), did not see (没看见), did not say (没说).
> 
> 能: can/able to/possible to/possibility
> 没能: not have the possibility to... (1)
> 不能: not possible, cannot... (2)
> 
> It was not possible (for me) to take your call.
> 
> There was no possibility (for me) to take your call.
> 
> There's no real difference between the two.




你的回答自相矛盾。如果“没能”是“不可能”，那么“他没死”就是“他不可能死”？


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## brofeelgood

Broccolee said:


> 你的回答自相矛盾。如果“没能”是“不可能”，那么“他没死”就是“他不可能死”？


我说的是，没可能死 = 不可能死。
你说的是，没死 = 不可能死。


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## Skatinginbc

因为我在开会，所以不能接你的电话。couldn't receive your phone call. 
因为我在开会，所以没能接你的电话。failed to receive your phone call.


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## samuel1004

因为我在开会，所以不能接你的电话。--开会的时候禁止接电话
因为我在开会，所以没能接你的电话。--因为在开会，没有看手机，没有接到你的电话。


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