别 + Verb
Use 别 + verb to tell someone NOT to do something — 'don't listen,' 'don't be angry,' 'don't talk.' It's the standard negative command in spoken Chinese: short, direct, and used between friends and family constantly. Add 了 at the end (别哭了) to soften it to 'okay, stop' rather than a fresh 'don't.' Add 啊 or 吧 to soften further. Drop 请 in front (请别抽烟) for politeness in public-facing signs and announcements.
Structure
(请) 别 [VERB] (了)
bié + [VERB]
How to Think About It
别 is a contraction of 不要 ('don't want to' → 'don't'). Both work, but 别 is shorter and more colloquial, which is why it dominates conversation. 别走 and 不要走 mean the same 'don't go,' but 别走 sounds like a friend speaking; 不要走 leans slightly more formal or insistent. Adding 了 to 别 + verb changes the flavor from 'don't start' to 'stop doing it' — 别说 'don't say it' vs 别说了 'stop talking already.'
Examples
别担心，我会处理的。
Bié dānxīn, wǒ huì chǔlǐ de.
Don't worry, I'll handle it.
请别在这里抽烟。
Qǐng bié zài zhèlǐ chōuyān.
Please don't smoke here.
别说了，我不想再听。
Bié shuō le, wǒ bù xiǎng zài tīng.
Stop talking, I don't want to hear any more.
Common Mistake
Learners stack 不 with 别 because both negate, but together they double-negate into a positive command. 别 already carries the negation — adding 不 turns it into 'don't not do' which is grammatical but confusing and rarely what you mean.
你别不来。 (intended: 'Don't come')
你别来。
Don't Confuse With
不要 + Verb
Same meaning, slightly more formal or emphatic. 别 fits casual speech; 不要 fits public signs and stronger insistence.
不 + Verb
Plain 不 negates a statement ('I'm not going'). 别 is specifically a command/request not to do something.
别 + Verb + 了
Adding 了 changes 'don't start' to 'stop doing what you're doing.' 别哭 = don't cry; 别哭了 = stop crying.
Practice
你____忘了带钥匙。
Show answer
别
别哭____，没事了。
Show answer
了
Arrange: 别 / 我 / 给 / 打 / 电话 / 现在
Show answer
现在别给我打电话。
Translate: Don't tell him about this.
Show answer
别告诉他这件事。
Write one sentence using 别 + Verb to give a friend advice.
Show answer
明天考试，今晚别熬夜，早点睡。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
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