不要
HSK 1 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)
不要 (bùyào) · don't
不要 (bùyào) means “don't; not want”. It is written with 2 characters: 不 (not) + 要 (to want). It is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 不要 is built
The characters
不 bù · not
What 不 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A bird flying toward the sky 一 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
要 yào · to want
What 要 is made of
- 覀xī — west
- 女nǚ — woman
Origin hint: A woman 女 with hands on her waist 覀 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
不要在这儿吃东西。Bù yào zài zhèr chī dōngxi.Don't eat here.
晚上不要喝咖啡。Wǎnshang bù yào hē kāfēi.Don't drink coffee in the evening.
Questions about 不要
What does 不要 mean?
不要 (bùyào) means “don't; not want”.
How do you pronounce 不要?
不要 is pronounced bùyào.
Which HSK level is 不要?
不要 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Related words
- 不大bùdànot very
- 不对bùduìwrong
- 不客气bùkèqiyou are welcome
- 不用bùyòngno need
- 对不起duìbuqǐsorry
- 是不是shìbushìis it or not
- 不错bùcuònot bad
- 不但bùdànnot only (... but also ...)
- 不够bùgòunot enough
- 不过bùguòbut
Learn 不要 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 35: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.