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How to Say ‘Is not / not’ in Traditional Chinese

不是

bù shì

[boo shir]

💬 Usage Tip: [不是] often means more than plain [is not] in conversation — it can be a quick correction, like [No, that's not it]. In taxi talk, [不是這裡] is a natural way to correct the stop point.

Phrase Breakdown

[boo]

not; no

Negates the verb 是 in the phrase 不是, meaning 'is not.'

Example

不是這裡,是前面一點。

Not here, a little further ahead.

shì

[shir]

to be; is

Used in identifying the correct place or saying where something is.

Example

這裡不是我要下車的地方。

This is not the place where I want to get off.

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