Word: 不 (bù)

吃水不忘打井人

chīshuǐ bú wàng dǎjǐng rén

when drinking water, don't forget the well-digger

吃饭不忘种谷人，饮水不忘掘井人

chīfàn bú wàng zhòng gǔ rén, yǐnshuǐ bú wàng jué jǐng rén

when eating, don't forget who grew the grain; when drinking, don't forget who dug the well

吃饭时发出声音是不礼貌的。

Chīfàn shí fāchū shēngyīn shì bù lǐmào de.

It is bad manners to make a noise while you eat.

各地的殡葬习俗很不一样。

Gèdì de bìnzàng xísú hěn bù yíyàng.

Funeral and burial customs differ a lot from place to place.

合租虽然便宜，但是不太自由。

Hézū suīrán piányi, dànshì bú tài zìyóu.

Co-renting is cheap, but you don't have much freedom.

吊死鬼扮新娘，人不像人，鬼不像鬼

diàosǐguǐ bàn xīnniáng, rén bú xiàng rén, guǐ bú xiàng guǐ

a hanged ghost dressing as a bride: neither human nor ghost

同类不相残。

Tónglèi bù xiāng cán.

A dog does not eat a dog.

后脖子抽筋，抬不起头来

hòu bózi chōujīn, tái bù qǐtóu lái

cramp in the back of the neck: can't lift your head

君子不夺人之所好

jūnzǐ bù duó rén zhī suǒ hào

a gentleman doesn't take what others love

君子不开口，神仙猜不透

jūnzǐ bù kāikǒu, shénxiān cāibútòu

if a gentleman doesn't speak, not even an immortal can guess

君子施恩不望报

jūnzǐ shī'ēn bú wàng bào

a gentleman bestows favours without hoping for return

君子言先不言后

jūnzǐ yán xiān bù yán hòu

a gentleman speaks first, not afterwards

听好了，不加税！

Tīng hǎole, bù jiā shuì!

Read my lips, no new taxes!

听着好像他们不打算走。

Tīngzhe hǎoxiàng tāmen bù dǎsuàn zǒu.

It sounds like they're not going to leave.

听说你不来。

Tīngshuō nǐ bù lái.

I heard that you're not coming.

听说南边的冬天不太冷。

Tīngshuō nánbian de dōngtiān bú tài lěng.

I heard winters in the south aren't too cold.

周末对我不太方便。

Zhōumò duì wǒ bú tài fāngbiàn.

Weekends aren't very convenient for me.

命薄一张纸，勤俭饿不死

mìngbó yì zhāng zhǐ, qínjiǎn è bù sǐ

fate thin as a sheet of paper, but the diligent and thrifty won't starve

和他争论这件事得不出结果。

Hé tā zhēnglùn zhè jiàn shì de bù chū jiéguǒ.

It is no use arguing with him about it.

和气不蚀本

hé qi bù shíběn

being friendly doesn't lose you capital

咖啡因摄入过多会睡不着。

Kāfēiyīn shèrùguo duō huì shuì bù zháo.

Too much caffeine consumption can keep you from sleeping.

哄死人不偿命

hǒng sǐ rén bù chángmìng

cheating someone to death costs no life

哎呀我不知道啦。

Āiyā wǒ bù zhīdào la.

Oh, I don't know.

哑巴打官司,有理讲不清

yǎba dǎguānsi,yǒulǐ jiǎng bù qīng

a mute going to court: in the right but unable to explain

哥哥和弟弟的样子一点也不像。

Gēge hé dìdi de yàngzi yìdiǎn yě bú xiàng.

The two brothers are quite unlike in their appearance.

哦，我不知道我是不是认同你。

Ó, wǒ bù zhīdào wǒ shìbúshì rèntóng nǐ.

Oh, I don't know if I agree with you.

哪一支队伍赢了比赛并不重要。

Nǎ yìzhī duìwǔ yíngle bǐsài bìng bú zhòngyào.

Which team won the match really isn't important.

哪个人也不全，哪个车轮也不圆

nǎge rén yě bù quán, nǎge chēlún yě bù yuán

no person is complete, no wheel is perfectly round

哪个人前不说人

nǎge rén qián bù shuō rén

who doesn't talk about others in front of people

哪个队赢得比赛并不重要。

Nǎge duì yíngdé bǐsài bìng bú zhòngyào.

It doesn't matter which team wins the game.

哪个鱼儿不识水

nǎge yú ér bù shí shuǐ

which fish doesn't know water

哪些文具不值得买？

Nǎxiē wénjù bù zhíde mǎi?

What stationery isn't worth buying?

哪里黄土不埋人

nǎlǐ huángtǔ bù mái rén

where does yellow earth not bury people

唢呐里吹出笛子调，响的不一样

suǒnà lǐ chuī chū dízi diào, xiǎng de bù yíyàng

playing a flute tune on a suona: the sound isn't the same

唱戏的不瞒打锣的

chàngxì de bù mán dǎ luó de

the opera singer doesn't hide things from the gong player

商场里的东西贵不贵？

Shāngchǎng lǐ de dōngxi guì bú guì?

Are things in the mall expensive?

啤酒我不太喜欢。

Píjiǔ wǒ bú tài xǐhuan.

I don't like beer that much.

善有善报，恶有恶报；不是不报，时辰未到

shànyǒushànbào, èyǒu-èbào; bú shì bú bào, shíchenwèidào

good gets good repayment, evil gets evil repayment; it's not that there's no repayment, the hour hasn't yet come

喝了白露水的知了，叫不了几天

hēle bái lùshuǐ de zhīliǎo, jiào bù liǎo jǐtiān

a cicada that has drunk the White Dew water: can't chirp for many more days

喝水不忘挖井人

hēshuǐ bú wàng wā jǐng rén

when drinking water, don't forget the person who dug the well

喝饮料不解渴，喝水吧。

Hē yǐnliào bù jiěkě, hēshuǐ ba.

Soft drinks don't quench your thirst, so drink water.

嘴上没毛，办事不牢

zuǐ shàng méi Máo, bànshì bù láo

no hair on the mouth, work is not firm

嘴上贴封条，开不了口

zuǐ shang tiē fēngtiáo, kāi bù liǎo kǒu

a seal strip stuck on the mouth: can't open it to speak

因为太闹，所以我睡不着觉。

Yīnwèi tài nào, suǒyǐ wǒ shuì bù zháo jiào.

I can't sleep because of the noise.

因此，天气一点也不热。

Yīncǐ, tiānqì yìdiǎn yě bú rè.

So, it isn't hot at all.

困难像弹簧,看你强不强

kùnnan xiàng tánhuáng,kàn nǐ qiáng bù qiáng

difficulty is like a spring: it depends how strong you are

围棋盘里下象棋，不对招数

wéi qípán li xià xiàngqí, bú duì zhāoshù

playing Chinese chess on a go board: the moves don't match

图书馆礼拜一不开门。

Túshūguǎn lǐbàiyī bù kāimén.

The library is closed on Mondays.

图像突然不动了，怎么办？

Túxiàng tūrán bú dòngle, zěnmebàn?

The picture suddenly froze. What should I do?

在家做饭不太花钱。

Zàijiā zuòfàn bú tài huāqián.

Cooking at home doesn't cost much.

在花园走一走算不上锻炼！

Zài huāyuán zǒu yì zǒu suàn bú shàng duànliàn!

Taking a walk in the garden doesn't count as exercise!

在这一点上意见不一。

Zài zhè yìdiǎn shàng yìjiàn bù yī.

Opinion is divided on this point.

在这个城市买房贵不贵？

Zài zhège chéngshì mǎifáng guì bú guì?

Is it expensive to buy a home in this city?

在这停留，这不可能。

Zài zhè tíngliú, zhè bù kěnéng.

It's not possible to stop here.

在这种场合说笑话不适宜吧？

Zài zhèzhǒng chǎnghé shuōxiàohuà bú shìyí ba?

Isn't it inappropriate to tell jokes on an occasion like this?

在陌生人面前，他总是不太自如。

Zài mòshēngrén miànqián, tā zǒngshì bú tài zìrú.

In front of strangers, he never feels quite at ease.

在雨中走出去是不可能的。

Zài yǔ zhōng zǒuchū qù shì bù kěnéng de.

Going out in this rain is out of the question.

坐车不买票，白搭

zuòchē bù mǎipiào, báidā

riding the vehicle without buying a ticket: a free ride (in vain)

坛子里的豆芽，伸不起腰

tánzi lǐ de dòuyá, shēn bù qǐ yāo

Bean sprouts in a jar: they can't straighten their backs

城和乡的生活很不一样。

Chéng hé xiāng de shēnghuó hěn bù yíyàng.

Life in the city and life in the countryside are very different.

城市里医院资源的配置不太平均。

Chéngshì lǐ yīyuàn zīyuán de pèizhì bú tài píngjūn.

The allocation of hospital resources in the city is not very even.

城隍爷掉井里，捞不起您的大驾

Chénghuáng yé diào jǐng lǐ, lāo bù qǐ nín de dà jià

The City God falls into a well: we can't fish (trouble) your honoured self

塞外的风光和江南很不一样。

Sàiwài de fēngguāng hé Jiāngnán hěn bù yíyàng.

The scenery beyond the Great Wall is very different from that south of the Yangtze.

墙上挂狗皮,不像画

qiáng shàng guà gǒu pí,bú xiàng huà

hanging a dog skin on the wall: it doesn't look like a picture

墙上画马不能骑,纸上画饼不充饥

qiáng shàng huà mǎ bùnéng qí,zhǐ shang huàbǐng bù chōngjī

a horse painted on a wall can't be ridden; a cake drawn on paper can't fill the stomach

墙里的柱子,使劲儿不显身

qiáng lǐ de zhùzi,shǐjìnr bù xiǎnshēn

a pillar inside the wall: it bears the load but doesn't show itself

处理不力，大家都不满意。

Chǔlǐ búlì, dàjiā dōu bù mǎnyì.

The matter was handled half-heartedly, and everyone was unhappy.

夏不借扇,冬不借棉

xià bú jiè shàn,dōng bú jiè mián

don't borrow a fan in summer or cotton clothes in winter

外部的声音太吵，我睡不着。

Wàibù de shēngyīn tài chǎo, wǒ shuì bù zháo.

The noise from outside is too loud, so I can't sleep.

多亏你解围，我才不尴尬。

Duōkuī nǐ jiěwéi, wǒ cái bù gāngà.

Thanks to you bailing me out, I wasn't embarrassed.

多年没见，我几乎辨认不出他了。

Duōnián méi jiàn, wǒ jīhū biànrèn bù chū tā le.

We hadn't met in years, so I could hardly recognize him.

夜以继日地干活，你不累吗？

Yèyǐjìrì de gànhuó, nǐ bú lèi ma?

Working day and night like this, aren't you tired?

夜明珠埋在地里,有宝不显

yèmíngzhū mái zài dìlǐ,yǒu bǎo bù xiǎn

a night-shining pearl buried in the ground: a treasure that does not show

夜猫子进宅,无事不来

yèmāozi jìn zhái,wú shì bù lái

an owl comes into the house: it doesn't come without reason

大丈夫有泪不轻弹

dàzhàngfu yǒu lèi bù qīng tán

a true man does not flick away his tears lightly

大丈夫流血不流泪

dàzhàngfu liúxiě bù liúlèi

a true man sheds blood, not tears

大不欺小，壮不欺老

dà bù qī xiǎo, zhuàng bù qī lǎo

the big don't bully the small, the strong don't bully the old

大事不糊涂，小事不纠缠

dàshìbùhútu, xiǎoshì bù jiūchán

don't be muddled in big matters, don't get tangled in small ones

大事瞒不了乡亲，小事昧不了邻居

dàshì mán bù liǎo xiāngqīn, xiǎoshì mèi bù liǎo línjū

big matters can't be hidden from fellow villagers, small matters can't be concealed from neighbours

大人不强小人志

dàren bù qiǎng xiǎorén zhì

a great person does not force a small person's will

大人尚且搬不动，何况是孩子呢？

Dàren shàngqiě bān bú dòng, hékuàng shì háizi ne?

Even adults can't move it, let alone a child.

大人都搬不动，何况是孩子。

Dàren dōu bān bú dòng, hékuàng shì háizi.

Even adults can't move it, let alone a child.

大人都搬不动，何况是孩子呢？

Dàren dōu bān bú dòng, hékuàng shì háizi ne?

Even adults can't move it, let alone a child.

大和小反义，对不对？

Dà hé xiǎo fǎnyì, duì bú duì?

Big and small are antonyms, right?

大家的意见还不太统一。

Dàjiā de yìjiàn hái bú tài tǒngyī.

Everyone's opinions are not very unified yet.

大家都在内卷，谁也不轻松。

Dàjiā dōu zài nèijuǎn, shéi yě bù qīngsōng.

Everyone is caught up in involution, and nobody has it easy.

大家都很谦让，谁也不先拿蛋糕。

Dàjiā dōu hěn qiānràng, shéi yě bù xiān ná dàngāo.

Everyone was so polite that nobody would take the cake first.

大寒过后，春天就不远了。

Dàhán guòhòu, chūntiān jiù bù yuǎnle.

After Dahan, spring is not far off.

大房子不一定适合住。

Dà fángzi bù yídìng shìhé zhù.

Large houses are not necessarily comfortable to live in.

大树林里的一片叶，有你不多，没你不少

dà shùlín lǐ de yípiàn Yè, yǒu nǐ bù duō, méi nǐ bùshǎo

one leaf in a big forest: with you there's no more, without you no less

大树砍不倒，小草站不牢

dàshù kǎn bù dǎo, xiǎocǎo zhàn bù láo

a big tree can't be chopped down; a small blade of grass can't stand firm

大水淹了龙王庙，一家人不认一家人

dàshuǐ yānle Lóngwángmiào, yìjiārén bú rèn yìjiārén

a flood swamps the Dragon King temple: one family doesn't recognise its own

大海不嫌水多，大山不嫌树多

dàhǎi bù xián shuǐ duō, Dàshān bù xián shù duō

the sea never finds its water too much, the mountain never finds its trees too many

大海里撑篙,点不到底

dà hǎilǐ chēng gāo,diǎn bú dàodǐ

poling a boat in the open sea: the pole can't touch the bottom

大盗沿街走，无赃不定罪

dàdào yánjiē zǒu, wú zāng bú dìngzuì

a great robber walks the street: without loot, no conviction

大象的屁股，推不动

dàxiàng de pìgu, tuī bú dòng

an elephant's backside: can't be pushed

大路不转小路转

dàlù bú zhuàn xiǎolù zhuàn

if the main road doesn't turn, the side road does

大风刮不了多时，亲人恼不了多日

dàfēng guā bù liǎo duō shí, qīnrén nǎo bù liǎo duōrì

a gale can't blow for long, relatives can't stay angry for many days

大风刮不了多时，大雨下不了多久

dàfēng guā bù liǎo duō shí, dàyǔ xià bù liǎo duōjiǔ

a gale can't blow for long, a downpour can't last long

大风吹不走月亮

dàfēngchuī bù zǒu yuèliang

a great wind can't blow the moon away