NetChai Chinese
不对
bú duì
That's not right · trad. 不對

不对 (bù duì) is a common and versatile way to say 'that's not right' or 'incorrect' in Mandarin Chinese. It can be used to point out an error, express disagreement, or indicate that something is not suitable or appropriate.

When to use it

Neutral. It's generally appropriate for most situations. For a more formal or objective statement of incorrectness, use 不正确 (bù zhèng què). To say someone 'made a mistake' or 'is wrong,' you might use 错了 (cuò le). When disagreeing politely, you could say 我觉得不是这样 (wǒ juéde bú shì zhèyàng), 'I don't think it's like this.'

How to pronounce it

Sounds like “boo-DWAY.” The first syllable '不' (bù) is usually a falling tone, but when followed by another falling tone (like '对'), it changes to a rising tone, so it's actually pronounced 'bú duì.'

Other ways to say it

  • 不正确bú zhèng quèincorrect (more formal/objective)
  • 错了cuò leit's wrong / made a mistake
  • 不是这样的bú shì zhè yàng deit's not like this (disagreeing with a statement)

Examples

这个答案不对。
zhè ge dá àn bú duì 。
This answer is not right.
你这样做不对。
nǐ zhè yàng zuò bú duì 。
It's not right for you to do it this way.
不对，我不同意你的看法。
bú duì ， wǒ bù tóng yì nǐ de kàn fǎ 。
That's not right, I don't agree with your opinion.
Pro tip: Tone change: The character 不 (bù) is normally a fourth (falling) tone. However, when it's followed by another fourth tone, 不 changes to a second (rising) tone. So, 不对 is pronounced 'bú duì,' not 'bù duì.'

Related phrases

和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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