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wǒ bù chī mǐfàn.

我wǒ　不bù　吃chī　米饭mǐfàn。wǒ bù chī mǐfàn.
I don’t eat rice.
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Questions & Answers about wǒ bù chī mǐfàn.

Why is it 不 and not 没(有) here?
  • Use 不 for general truths, habits, preferences, scheduled facts, or refusals: 我不吃米饭.
  • Use 没(有) for past events or non-occurrence of an action: 我没(有)吃米饭 = I didn’t eat rice (on that occasion).
  • You don’t use 不 to negate a completed past action, and you don’t add 了 after 没 in negation.
Does 我不吃米饭 mean I never eat rice, or just that I don’t want to eat it now?
  • Default reading: a general statement/habit or a refusal in the moment.
  • To say never: add 从来不 → 我从来不吃米饭 (I never eat rice).
  • To say you don’t feel like it now: 我现在不想吃米饭.
  • To express a temporary policy (e.g., dieting): 我暂时不吃米饭.
What’s the difference between 米饭, 饭, and 米?
  • 米饭 (mǐfàn): cooked rice (what you eat).
  • 饭 (fàn): meal; in set phrases like 吃饭 = to have a meal. In many places (esp. northern China) 饭 can also mean cooked grain (often rice) depending on context.
  • 米 (mǐ): uncooked rice grains; you normally don’t say 吃米.
  • Extra: in Taiwan you’ll often hear 白饭 for plain cooked rice.
Do I need a measure word with 米饭?
  • Not if you’re speaking generally: 我不吃米饭 is fine.
  • For quantities, add a measure word:
    • 一碗米饭 (a bowl of rice)
    • 一口米饭 (a bite of rice)
    • 一点儿米饭 (a little rice)
    • 一份米饭 (one serving of rice, e.g., when ordering)
Any tone changes with 不 here? How do the tones flow in the whole sentence?
  • Pinyin: wǒ bù chī mǐfàn.
  • 不 (bù) only changes to second tone (bú) before a fourth-tone syllable. Since 吃 (chī) is first tone, keep bù → bù chī.
  • Third-tone sandhi: a third tone before another tone is usually pronounced as a low, half-third tone.
    • 我 (wǒ) is realized as a low tone before 不.
    • 米 (mǐ) is realized low before 饭 (fàn).
How do I pronounce 吃 chī correctly (vs cī and qī)?
  • chī: retroflex; curl the tongue tip slightly back. It’s not like English ch in “cheese”; it’s darker, with the tongue curled.
  • cī: aspirated “ts” sound (like the “ts” in “cats” but with a strong puff). Tongue tip is at the alveolar ridge, not curled.
  • qī: alveolo‑palatal; similar to an unrounded “chee” with the tongue blade near the hard palate and lips spread.
  • Minimal contrast: chī (吃) vs cī (呲), qī (七). Practice slowly, focusing on tongue position.
Can I move words around for emphasis or drop something?
  • Basic order is SVO: 我 不 吃 米饭.
  • Topic–comment for emphasis/contrast: 米饭我不吃 (As for rice, I don’t eat it).
  • Dropping elements:
    • If context is clear, you can drop the object: 我不吃 (I’m not eating / I won’t eat [that]).
    • In short answers or refusals, just 不吃！ works.
How do I ask the yes/no question version?
  • With 吗: 你吃米饭吗？ (Do you eat rice?)
  • A‑not‑A form: 你吃不吃米饭？ (Do you eat rice or not?)
  • Negative‑polarity question (often expresses surprise): 你不吃米饭吗？
  • Answers in Chinese typically repeat the verb:
    • 吃。 / 不吃。 rather than English-style yes/no.
How can I make it softer or more polite?
  • 我不太吃米饭。 (I don’t really eat rice.)
  • 我很少吃米饭。 (I rarely eat rice.)
  • 我尽量不吃米饭。 (I try not to eat rice.)
  • 谢谢，我不吃米饭。 (Thanks, I’ll pass on rice.)
  • If it’s an inability/restriction: 我吃不了米饭。 (I can’t eat rice.)
How do I say I used to eat it but not anymore?
  • Use change‑of‑state 了: 我不吃米饭了。 (I don’t eat rice anymore.)
  • You can make the timeline explicit: 我以前吃米饭，现在不吃了。
What’s the difference between 不吃, 不想吃, 不要吃, 不能吃, 吃不惯, and 吃不了?
  • 不吃: don’t eat (habit/refusal).
  • 不想吃: don’t feel like eating; not in the mood.
  • 不要吃: don’t want to eat / don’t eat! (imperative or rejection).
  • 不能吃: cannot eat (not allowed, allergic, medical/religious).
  • 吃不惯: not used to eating (taste/habit).
  • 吃不了: can’t manage to eat (capacity/constraint), e.g., too full or physically unable.
How do I talk about a specific past occasion, like “I didn’t eat rice at lunch”?
  • Use 没(有) + 动词: 今天中午我没(有)吃米饭。
  • Don’t use 不 for a completed past event.
  • You also don’t add 了 to the verb in a 没‑negated past: it’s simply 没(有) + 吃.
How do I say “I have (never) eaten rice” with the experiential aspect?
  • Experience: 我吃过米饭。 (I’ve eaten rice before.)
  • Never experienced: 我没(有)吃过米饭。
  • Note: You can’t say 不吃过; with 过, negation is with 没(有).
Are there regional wording differences for “rice”?
  • Mainland Mandarin: 米饭 or simply 饭 (context‑dependent).
  • Taiwan Mandarin: 白饭 is very common for plain cooked rice; 米饭 is also understood.
  • When ordering: 来一碗米饭/白饭 is natural.
Any cultural tips for saying you don’t eat rice?
  • A bare 我不吃米饭 can sound blunt. Softening or giving a reason helps:
    • 我不太吃米饭，我更喜欢面食。
    • 我对米饭过敏/我在控制碳水，所以不吃米饭。
  • Offering an alternative or appreciation keeps it friendly: 谢谢，我吃菜就可以。