再也不 vs 再也没: what is the difference?
再也不 says you will never do it again, a decision about the future: 我再也不吃了. 再也没 says it has not happened since a past point: 我再也没吃过。
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 再也不 | zài yě bù | Says a person will never again do something, a firm decision after an experience. | subject + 再也不 + verb + 了 |
| 再也没 | zài yě méi | Says that something has not happened since a point in the past. | subject + 再也没(有) + verb + 过 |
再也不 (zài yě bù)
Says a person will never again do something, a firm decision after an experience.
Structure: subject + 再也不 + verb + 了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 吃了那次亏以后，我再也不相信他了。 | Chī le nà cì kuī yǐ hòu, wǒ zài yě bù xiāng xìn tā le. | After being taken in that time, I never trust him again. |
| 他搬走以后，我再也不去那家饭馆了。 | Tā bān zǒu yǐ hòu, wǒ zài yě bú qù nà jiā fàn guǎn le. | Since he moved away, I never go to that restaurant any more. |
| 我再也不熬夜了，太伤身体。 | Wǒ zài yě bù áo yè le, tài shāng shēn tǐ. | I will never stay up late again. It is bad for my health. |
Not: 我再也不去过北京。 再也不 speaks of a decision. For a past fact, use 再也没: 我再也没去过北京。
再也没 (zài yě méi)
Says that something has not happened since a point in the past.
Structure: subject + 再也没(有) + verb + 过
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 毕业以后，我再也没见过他。 | Bì yè yǐ hòu, wǒ zài yě méi jiàn guò tā. | Since graduation I have never seen him again. |
| 她走了以后，再也没有回来过。 | Tā zǒu le yǐ hòu, zài yě méi yǒu huí lái guò. | After she left, she never came back. |
| 那家店关门后，我再也没吃到那么好吃的面。 | Nà jiā diàn guān mén hòu, wǒ zài yě méi chī dào nà me hǎo chī de miàn. | After that shop closed, I never again ate such good noodles. |
Not: 再也我没见过他。 再也没 sits right after the subject: 我再也没见过他。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Emphasis Patterns: 再也不、怎么都、X归X (HSK 5) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 从而 vs 因此 · 从…来看 vs 在…看来 · 大都 vs 都 · 跟…相比 vs 跟…一样 · 过于 vs 太 · 看不得 vs 看不懂 · 累坏了 vs 累得不得了 · 凭 vs 依据 · 起来 vs 下去 · 仍旧 vs 依旧 · 为了 vs 为的是 · 有 vs 有着 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 再也不 and 再也没?
再也不 says you will never do it again, a decision about the future: 我再也不吃了. 再也没 says it has not happened since a past point: 我再也没吃过。
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