没

沒

méi, mò

殳 + 氵

Definitions

méi (adverb) have not; not

mò (verb) to drown; to sink

Etymology

Simplified form of 沒. Depicts a hand reaching in the water to grab something. The meaning later expanded to "drown", "disappear", and "not have".

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 殳

About

没, the simplified form of 沒, combines the water radical 氵 with 殳, a hand reaching to grab something, depicting a hand reaching into water. This imagery gave rise to the meaning of sinking or drowning (pronounced mò), later extending to disappearance and confiscation. From the sense of disappearance, the character developed the modern pronunciation méi, functioning as a negative particle for 'not have' or to negate completed actions.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我没有手表。

Wǒ méiyǒu shǒubiǎo.

I don't have a watch.

他昨天没回家。

Tā zuótiān méi huí jiā.

He didn't go home yesterday.

我没听到电话声。

Wǒ méi tīngdào diànhuà shēng.

I didn't hear the phone ring.

这个地方没人来过。

Zhège dìfāng méi rén lái guò.

No one has come to this place.

如果你没时间，就别去了。

Rúguǒ nǐ méi shíjiān, jiù bié qù le.

If you don't have time, then don't go.

他根本没考虑我的建议。

Tā gēnběn méi kǎolǜ wǒ de jiànyì.

He didn't consider my suggestion at all.

由于没做好准备，我们失败了。

Yóuyú méi zuò hǎo zhǔnbèi, wǒmen shībài le.

Because we didn't prepare well, we failed.

尽管没收到正式通知，他还是知道了。

Jǐnguǎn méi shōudào zhèngshì tōngzhī, tā háishì zhīdào le.

Even though he didn't receive official notification, he still found out.

Related Characters

Component: 殳

Component: 氵

没