有 yǒu
to have / there is
有 (yǒu) means "to have" or "there is/are". It's special because its negative form uses 没 (méi) instead of 不 (bù). This is your first taste of Chinese having different negation rules — and it's the fun kind of pattern that makes the language click.
How to use 有
我有 ___
I have ___
我没有 ___
I don't have ___
你有 ___ 吗？
Do you have ___?
你有几个 ___？
How many ___ do you have?
这里有 ___
There is ___ here
有没有 ___？
Is there ___? / Do you have ___?
Words used with 有
没
méi
not (used with 有)
这里
zhèlǐ
here
个
ge
a common measure word
弟弟
dìdi
younger brother
哥哥
gēge
older brother
问题
wèntí
question; problem
家
jiā
home; family
里
lǐ
in; inside
钱
qián
money
手机
shǒujī
cell phone
咖啡
kāfēi
coffee
书
shū
book
Frequently asked questions
What does 有 (yǒu) mean in Chinese?
有 (yǒu) means "to have / there is" in Chinese. 有 (yǒu) means "to have" or "there is/are". It's special because its negative form uses 没 (méi) instead of 不 (bù). This is your first taste of Chinese having different negation rules — and it's the fun kind of pattern that makes the language click.
How do you use 有 in a sentence?
The core pattern is "我有 ___" (I have ___). Once you know this block, you can reuse it with many other words to build full sentences.
What words are commonly used with 有?
Common words that pair with 有 include 没, 这里, 个. Learning these together helps you build complete, natural sentences instead of isolated vocabulary.
What is the difference between 有 (yǒu) and 是 (shì)?
Both are high-frequency Chinese words taught early in Speak1000. 有 means "to have / there is"; 是 means "to be". The fastest way to tell them apart is to hear each one used in real sentences — our free lessons drill every word in context so the contrast becomes natural.
Related Chinese concepts
Why this concept matters
One concept should unlock a network, not one translation
Speak1000 teaches 有 as part of a cumulative sentence network. You connect it to concepts you already know, hear the combinations in context, and retrieve them in new situations.
See the Concept Unlock MethodHear 有 used in real sentences
The fastest way to remember 有 (yǒu) is to hear it used naturally. Start with our free interactive lesson and practice with real audio from day one.
Try Free Lesson: Unit 1