非
fēi
Not, non-
非 (fēi) — neither A nor B
非 (fēi) + Noun/Adj. A + 非 (fēi) + Noun/Adj. B
HSK 7–93.0
Pattern diagram
非Noun非Noun
Rule structure
非 (fēi)A非 (fēi)B is a literary four-character pattern that denies both named categories, meaning "neither A nor B; belonging to neither." A and B are matching nouns or adjectives, often semantically related. It appears in set phrases such as 非亲非故 (fēi qīn fēi gù) and 非驴非马 (fēi lǘ fēi mǎ).
Rule structure
非 (fēi)A非 (fēi)B is a literary four-character pattern that denies both named categories, meaning "neither A nor B; belonging to neither." A and B are matching nouns or adjectives, often semantically related. It appears in set phrases such as 非亲非故 (fēi qīn fēi gù) and 非驴非马 (fēi lǘ fēi mǎ).
Examples
他们非亲非故，却互相照顾。
Tāmen fēiqīn-fēigù, què hùxiāng zhàogù.
They are neither relatives nor old acquaintances, yet they look after each other.
Examples
他们非亲非故，却互相照顾。
Tāmen fēiqīn-fēigù, què hùxiāng zhàogù.
They are neither relatives nor old acquaintances, yet they look after each other.
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Words from this rule
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “neither A nor B” in Chinese with 非?
Use the structure: 非 (fēi) + Noun/Adj. A + 非 (fēi) + Noun/Adj. B. For example: 他们非亲非故，却互相照顾。 — “They are neither relatives nor old acquaintances, yet they look after each other”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
他们非亲非故，却互相照顾。 — “They are neither relatives nor old acquaintances, yet they look after each other”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Levels 7–9.
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More HSK 3.0 Levels 7–9 grammar rules
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Subj. + 仅次于 (jǐn cì yú) + X
个 — casual small action
Verb + 个 (ge) + Noun
除外 — except for, excluding
Noun + 除外 (chúwài)
不亚于 — no worse than
Subject + 不亚于 (bú yà yú) + Noun
可不 — enthusiastic agreement
可不 (kě bu) / 可不是嘛 (kě bú shì ma) — a standalone confirming reply
说到哪儿去了 — polite reply to praise
说到哪儿去了 (shuō dào nǎr qù le) — a standalone polite reply
爱 — indifference “whether… or not”
爱 (ài) + Verb + 不 (bù) + the same Verb