not
not — 副詞
1. used with auxiliary or linking verbs to change a statement into its opposite, de
不；沒
放在助動詞後，表示否定
used with auxiliary or linking verbs to change a statement into its opposite, denying that something is true, happens, or was done.
The public library does not open on Sundays or public holidays.
公立圖書館週日及國定假日不開門。
auxiliary 'does' + not for present simple denial
Mira cannot come to the party because she is sick.
Mira 不能來參加派對，因為她生病了。
cannot = can + not expressing inability
Reuben has not finished his maths homework yet, so he stayed up late.
Reuben 還沒做完數學作業，所以熬夜了。
It was not raining when we left the house this morning.
我們早上出門時，並沒有下雨。
You must not touch the wet paint on the bench.
你不可以碰長椅上新塗的油漆。
文法句型
auxiliary verb + not + main verb
auxiliary verb + n't + main verb
用法筆記
In spoken English, 'not' is almost always contracted to 'n't' attached to the auxiliary verb (isn't, don't, won't, can't, haven't). One exception: the contraction 'amn't' is not standard in most varieties of English; use 'aren't' with 'I' in questions ('aren't I?').
常見錯誤
2. placed directly before a specific expression to deny or exclude just that piece
並非；不是
放在特定字詞前，否定該部分
placed directly before a specific expression to deny or exclude just that piece of a sentence, instead of turning the entire statement negative.
Not everyone in the class passed the test.
班上並非每個人都通過了考試。
not + everyone — partial negation
The book was good, but not the best I have read.
這本書不錯，但不是我讀過最好的一本。
Élise asked me to buy milk, not bread.
Élise 叫我買牛奶，不是麵包。
It was not a cat but a small dog that ran across the street.
跑過馬路的不是貓，而是一隻小狗。
It was Zuri who did the dishes last night, not Reuben.
洗碗的是 Zuri，不是 Reuben。
- no
used before a noun to mean 'not any' or 'not a' (no money vs. not any money)
文法句型
not + noun phrase
not + adjective
not + adverb
not + all / every / many / necessarily
用法筆記
When placed before 'all', 'every', 'both', or 'always', the negation is partial — the statement denies the universal claim but does not mean 'none'. 'Not all birds can fly' means some can and some cannot.
常見錯誤
3. follows verbs such as 'hope', 'think', or 'be afraid' when a speaker gives a bri
恐怕不
簡短否定回應，接在 hope 等動詞後
follows verbs such as 'hope', 'think', or 'be afraid' when a speaker gives a brief negative response without restating the whole idea.
"Will it rain tomorrow?" "I hope not. We have a picnic planned."
「明天會下雨嗎？」「希望不會。我們安排了野餐。」
I hope not — typical short reply
"Is Niran coming to the meeting?" "I am afraid not. He called to cancel."
「Niran 要來開會嗎？」「恐怕不行。他打電話取消了。」
I'm afraid not — polite negative reply
"Do you think Lara will win the race?" "I think not, because she hurt her ankle."
「妳覺得 Lara 會贏得比賽嗎？」「我想不會，她腳踝受傷了。」
"Will the parcel arrive before Friday?" "I suppose not — the tracking shows it is still in transit."
「包裹會在週五前送達嗎？」「應該不行——追蹤顯示還在運送途中。」
- so
used similarly in short affirmative replies: 'I think so', 'I hope so'
文法句型
I hope not
I'm afraid not
I think not
I guess not
I suppose not
用法筆記
'I hope not' and 'I'm afraid not' are common in everyday speech. 'I think not' and 'I believe not' are more formal. A bare 'Not' alone as a complete response is possible but sounds very clipped.
常見錯誤
4. used to describe a situation or consequence that occurs when something else does
若沒；否則
引導如果某事沒發生時的後果
used to describe a situation or consequence that occurs when something else does not happen or is not true.
If you do not water the plants, they will die.
如果你不澆水，植物會枯死。
if + do not + verb → consequence
Call the doctor if the fever does not go down by tomorrow.
如果到明天發燒還沒退，就打電話給醫生。
If not ready by seven, we can take a taxi instead of the bus.
如果七點還沒準備好，我們可以搭計程車而不是公車。
Sivan will join us for dinner if she does not have to work late.
如果 Sivan 不用加班，她會跟我們一起吃晚餐。
Take a coat with you if not for the rain, then for the cold wind.
帶件外套吧——就算不擋雨，也能擋冷風。
文法句型
if + subject + do/does/did + not + verb
if not (short form)
用法筆記
Commonly appears in conditional structures with 'if'. The subject can be omitted after 'if not' when the meaning is clear from context ('if ready' = 'if you are ready').
常見錯誤
5. used to emphasise that the actual situation is even more extreme — greater, long
甚至；不僅
強調實際情況比剛才說的更極端
used to emphasise that the actual situation is even more extreme — greater, longer, more difficult, etc. — than the idea that was just mentioned.
The movie was not just good; it was the best I have seen all year.
這部電影不只是好看而已；它是我今年看過最好的一部。
not just... but even stronger — intensifying pattern
Lara did not finish the race on time; she broke the school record.
Lara 不只是準時完成比賽；她還打破了學校紀錄。
Vivek not only passed the exam but also earned the highest grade.
Vivek 不僅通過了考試，還拿到了最高分。
The queue was not hours long but days long for the concert tickets.
排隊買演唱會門票不是等幾個小時，而是等了幾天。
文法句型
not only... but also...
not just... but...
not... but rather...
not merely... but even...
用法筆記
This sense always pairs with a following clause that gives the stronger or more surprising fact. The structure is often 'not only... but also...' or 'not just... but...'. In 'not only' sentences, the auxiliary verb and subject can be inverted ('Not only did she finish, she won').
常見錯誤
6. used with words like 'might', 'may', or 'perhaps' to show that something is poss
未必；可能不
用 might 等表達不確定性
used with words like 'might', 'may', or 'perhaps' to show that something is possibly, but not certainly, not going to happen or be true.
The bus might not come because of the heavy snow.
因為大雪，公車可能不來了。
might not — possibility of non-occurrence
Christopher may not know about the change in plans yet.
Christopher 可能還不知道計劃有變。
Perhaps the shop is not open on public holidays.
也許那家店在國定假日不營業。
Eri could not have left already; her bag is still on the chair.
Eri 不可能已經走了；她的包包還在椅子上。
- maybe
affirmative counterpart in expressions of possibility: 'maybe he will' vs. 'maybe he won't'
文法句型
might not
may not
could not
maybe... not
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (BASIC NEGATION): sense 1 states a definite denial ('He is not here'), while sense 6 suggests uncertainty ('He might not be here'). The difference is in the modal verb that accompanies 'not'.
常見錯誤
7. appended to a spoken remark to indicate the speaker was only joking and does not
說笑的
放在句尾表示剛才是在開玩笑
appended to a spoken remark to indicate the speaker was only joking and does not truly mean it.
Roya told everyone she absolutely loves washing dishes. Not!
Roya 說她最喜歡洗碗了。騙你的啦！
colloquial retraction marker — informal only
That was a really brilliant idea you just had. Not!
那個主意真是太棒了。才怪！
I am so happy to wake up at five in the morning. Not!
我超喜歡早上五點起床。開玩笑的！
Vivek says he loves getting up early on Saturdays. Not!
Vivek 說他最喜歡星期六早起。才怪！
- just kidding
fuller and less ambiguous way to retract a statement
文法句型
statement + , not!
statement + ... not!
用法筆記
This usage is very informal and primarily used in casual conversation or text messages among friends. It became popular through 1990s American youth culture ('Wayne's World' style). Do not use in formal writing.
常見錯誤
❌ Using this in formal or academic writing — it is strictly informal and may confuse non-native speakers unfamiliar with this joke pattern.
not — 名詞
1. an operation in computer science and formal logic that takes a single input and
NOT 運算
邏輯運算，輸入相反值
an operation in computer science and formal logic that takes a single input and produces the opposite value — turning true into false and false into true.
A NOT gate changes a 1 to a 0 and a 0 to a 1.
NOT 閘會把 1 變成 0，把 0 變成 1。
NOT gate — hardware logic circuit
Inês used the NOT operator to find pages that do not contain the word.
Inês 使用 NOT 運算子來找出不包含這個字的頁面。
NOT operator — software search context
The logic table for NOT shows that true becomes false.
NOT 的邏輯表顯示 true 會變成 false。
A NOT condition in a search finds everything that does not match.
使用 NOT 條件搜尋時，會找出所有不符合的項目。
文法句型
NOT gate
NOT operator
用法筆記
This is a technical term used in computing, electronics, and mathematics. In everyday English, 'not' is always the adverb (see the senses above). The noun form appears only in specialised contexts when referring to the logic operation itself.