对
duì
Correct
How to say "not correct" in Chinese
不对
bú duì
Not correct
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
不 (bù) means 'not', and 对 (duì) means 'correct' or 'right'. Together they form 'not correct'.
Variations and politeness
不是
bù shì
It's not (that). — More colloquial and often used to deny a statement rather than to judge correctness.
不对劲
bú duì jìn
Something's off. — Used when a situation feels strange or suspicious, not just factually wrong.
Mini dialogue
A
你觉得这个答案对吗？
Nǐ juéde zhège dá'àn duì ma?
Do you think this answer is correct?
B
不对。
Bù duì.
Not correct.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you want to say that an answer or statement is factually wrong.
- When you need a neutral, polite way to point out a mistake without sounding harsh.
- When responding to a yes/no question about correctness, such as 'Is this right?'
Avoid when
- When you want to strongly disagree with someone's opinion; 不对 sounds too mild and factual.
- When you mean 'no' as a general negation (e.g., 'I don't want it'); use 不是 or 不 instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'not correct' in Chinese?
You say 不对 (bú duì). It literally means 'not correct' and is used to indicate that something is wrong.
How do you pronounce 不对?
It is pronounced bú duì. Note that 不 changes from bù to bú before a fourth tone like 对.
When do you use 不对 instead of 不是?
Use 不对 when specifically saying something is incorrect or wrong. Use 不是 when negating a noun or identity, like 'It is not me' (不是我).
More phrases for this situation
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