<p>There is seldom a one-on-one word translation that will work in all contexts. "从来没有 | cónglái méiyǒu" or "从来没 | cónglái méi" works if you're talking about something that has never happened up to the present time.</p>

<p>我从来没学过中文. (Wǒ cónglái méi xuéguò Zhōngwén - I have never learned Chinese.)</p>

<p>If you want to talk about the future, as in "something will never happen", you need a different expression altogether. </p>

<p>他永远不会来. (Tā yǒngyuǎn bù huì lái - He will never come.)</p>

<p>So, my suggestion is, if you're looking for a word meaning, at least provide a context.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T03:47:02.077Z
2015-02-12T14:22:23.230Z
2015-02-12T14:22:23.230Z
monalisa
<p>Short answer: as a native speaker, I recommend the first one</p>

<p>Long answer:</p>

<p>You can use the first one in almost all scenarios ant it would sound okay. The second one is more commonly used with in a sentence before the verb, but if "Never" is the full response of a question, the first one would be better. I think this is because the second one is the shortcut for the first one, but in as a sentence itself, it would sound a bit unnatural to me, not that it is wrong or others won't understand you.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T03:33:20.900Z
2015-02-06T03:33:20.900Z
user1228520
<p>我永远不会... would mean: I will never...</p>

<p>You use that when you would never do something.</p>

<p>Ex. 我永远不会玩足球。 （Translation: I will never play soccer.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-15T18:27:25.377Z
2015-02-15T18:27:25.377Z
Happy Time
<p>从来没有 and 从来没 are the same thing</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-12T09:06:57.983Z
2015-02-12T09:06:57.983Z
nshen
<p>绝不 or 绝对不会 or 绝对不干</p>

<p>I think 绝 more closely conveys the sense of "never".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-22T02:53:19.270Z
2015-02-22T02:53:19.270Z
ZiYouRenXiang
<p>Research:</p>

<p>In here, <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20say%20never%20in%20mandarin" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20say%20never%20in%20mandarin</a> 
It says that to say never, you say, "Cónglái méiyǒu", but another website, which is this one, <a href="http://eteacherchinese.com/Chinese-Dictionary/never-0" rel="nofollow">http://eteacherchinese.com/Chinese-Dictionary/never-0</a> 
says that you should say, "cónglái méi", so, how do you say 'never' in Mandarin Chinese?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-06T03:37:31.927Z
There is more than one way to skin a cat, and to express 'never', depends on what you want to say. Look up never in a Chinese English dictionary, or get some ideas here: http://dj.iciba.com/never
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-07T02:44:52.983Z
And I was taught cónglái bu, which I find on line but mostly in songs.  Is that okay?
Colin McLarty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-07T20:31:50.927Z
The difference between conglai bu and conglai mei(you) is one of time. Conglai bu means you never do (something). You never eat broccoli; you never gossip... etc. Conglai mei(you) means you have never done (something) up to now. For example, you have never learned Chinese before, but you may start tomorrow.
monalisa
<mandarin>
How to say 'never' in Mandarin Chinese?
# How to say 'never' in Mandarin Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-05)

Research:

In here, <https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20say%20never%20in%20mandarin>
It says that to say never, you say, "Cónglái méiyǒu", but another website, which is this one, <http://eteacherchinese.com/Chinese-Dictionary/never-0>
says that you should say, "cónglái méi", so, how do you say 'never' in Mandarin Chinese?

**Tags:** mandarin

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is more than one way to skin a cat, and to express 'never', depends on what you want to say. Look up never in a Chinese English dictionary, or get some ideas here: http://dj.iciba.com/never  
> **username_2**: And I was taught cónglái bu, which I find on line but mostly in songs.  Is that okay?  
> **username_3**: The difference between conglai bu and conglai mei(you) is one of time. Conglai bu means you never do (something). You never eat broccoli; you never gossip... etc. Conglai mei(you) means you have never done (something) up to now. For example, you have never learned Chinese before, but you may start tomorrow.  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-06. Score: 8

There is seldom a one-on-one word translation that will work in all contexts. "从来没有 | cónglái méiyǒu" or "从来没 | cónglái méi" works if you're talking about something that has never happened up to the present time.

我从来没学过中文. (Wǒ cónglái méi xuéguò Zhōngwén - I have never learned Chinese.)

If you want to talk about the future, as in "something will never happen", you need a different expression altogether.

他永远不会来. (Tā yǒngyuǎn bù huì lái - He will never come.)

So, my suggestion is, if you're looking for a word meaning, at least provide a context.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-02-06. Score: 3

Short answer: as a native speaker, I recommend the first one

Long answer:

You can use the first one in almost all scenarios ant it would sound okay. The second one is more commonly used with in a sentence before the verb, but if "Never" is the full response of a question, the first one would be better. I think this is because the second one is the shortcut for the first one, but in as a sentence itself, it would sound a bit unnatural to me, not that it is wrong or others won't understand you.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2015-02-15. Score: 1

我永远不会... would mean: I will never...

You use that when you would never do something.

Ex. 我永远不会玩足球。 （Translation: I will never play soccer.)


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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-02-12. Score: 1

从来没有 and 从来没 are the same thing


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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-02-22. Score: 0

绝不 or 绝对不会 or 绝对不干

I think 绝 more closely conveys the sense of "never".


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