wǒ bù mài zhège dōngxi.

I

Breakdown of wǒ bù mài zhège dōngxi.

• 不bù: not
• 东西dōngxi: thing
• 这个zhège: this

Questions & Answers about wǒ bù mài zhège dōngxi.

Why is the word order 我 不 卖 这个 东西?

This follows the basic Mandarin pattern:

subject + negative word + verb + object

So here:

• 我 = I
• 不 = not
• 卖 = sell
• 这个东西 = this thing / this item

So literally it is:

I + not + sell + this thing

That is normal Mandarin word order. Unlike English, you do not need a helper verb like do. Mandarin says I not sell this thing, not I do not sell this thing.

---

What is the difference between 卖 and 买? I keep mixing them up.

This is a very common confusion.

• 卖 mài = to sell
• 买 mǎi = to buy

They sound similar, but the tones are different:

• 卖 mài = 4th tone, falling
• 买 mǎi = 3rd tone, dipping

So:

• 我不卖这个东西 = I’m not selling this thing.
• 我不买这个东西 = I’m not buying this thing.

A good memory trick:

• 卖 = money goes outward from the seller to the market
• 买 = money comes inward to get something

Not a perfect mnemonic, but it helps some learners.

---

Why is 不 used here instead of 没?