有: to have, there is

有 (yǒu) = to have

有 means "to have". It works like an English verb: subject, 有, then the thing.

• 我有一个哥哥。(Wǒ yǒu yí gè gēge.)I have an older brother.
• 你有中文书吗？(Nǐ yǒu Zhōngwén shū ma?)Do you have Chinese books?

Remember the measure word after a number (Measure words: 个, 本, 杯, 张, 口, 只): 有两个哥哥, not 有两哥哥.

有 = there is, there are

The same verb says that something exists somewhere. Chinese starts with the place, then 有, then the thing:

里 (li) = in, inside; 上 (shang) = on. They go after the place noun.

• 教室里有二十个学生。(Jiàoshì li yǒu èrshí gè xuésheng.)There are twenty students in the classroom.
• 桌子上有一杯水。(Zhuōzi shang yǒu yì bēi shuǐ.)There's a glass of water on the table.

Not: 没有, never 不有

This is the one verb that is never negated with 不. "Don't have" and "there isn't" are 没有 (méiyǒu). In speech 有 is often dropped and you hear just 没 before the noun: 我没钱 (wǒ méi qián) = I have no money.

• 她没有车。(Tā méiyǒu chē.)She doesn't have a car.
• 这儿没有咖啡。(Zhèr méiyǒu kāfēi.)There's no coffee here.

Questions and short answers

Ask with 吗, or with 有没有 (have / not have). Answer with the verb: 有 (yes) or 没有 (no), as in Yes/no questions with 吗.

• 你有没有时间？(Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu shíjiān?)Do you have time?

有 is for having and existing. To say where a known thing is, use 在 instead: 我的书在桌子上 = My book is on the table (在: where things are and where things happen).

Common mistakes

• 我不有车。 → 我没有车。有 always takes 没.
• 有一本书在桌子上 for "There's a book on the table": you may hear it, but it follows English order and sounds marked. The usual sentence puts the place first: 桌子上有一本书。
• 你有吗车？ → 你有车吗？吗 always goes at the very end.
• 我有没车。 → 我没有车。没 comes before 有, not after it.