别
don't; other
bié
What does 别 mean?
别 (bié) has two HSK 2 jobs that look unrelated but share the same character. The most important is the negative imperative 'don't': place 别 before a verb to tell someone not to do something — 别走 ('don't go'), 别说话 ('don't talk'), 别担心 ('don't worry'). It is the spoken counterpart of the more formal 不要 (búyào, 'don't'); 别 is shorter, friendlier, and the default in conversation. The second job is as an adjective meaning 'other / another,' usually in compounds: 别人 ('other people'), 别的 ('something else'), 特别 ('special; especially'), 区别 ('difference').
To soften a 'don't' command, add 了
Character breakdown
don't; other; to leave / part
Memory hook: 别 = the spoken 'don't.' Think of it as a verbal stop sign — short, friendly, and used dozens of times a day.
Example sentences
别说了。
Bié shuō le.
Stop talking. / Don't say any more.
spoken
别担心，没事。
Bié dānxīn, méi shì.
Don't worry, it's fine.
spoken
别人都走了。
Biérén dōu zǒu le.
Everyone else has left.
neutral
你想吃别的吗？
Nǐ xiǎng chī bié de ma?
Do you want to eat something else?
spoken
别忘了带钥匙。
Bié wàng le dài yàoshi.
Don't forget to bring the keys.
spoken
Common phrases with 别
Synonyms
不要 is the longer, slightly stronger form of 'don't.' 别 is shorter and feels friendlier in spoken Chinese. A parent might say 别跑 ('don't run') casually but 不要跑 if more emphatic. Same meaning, register difference.
勿 is the literary / formal 'don't' — found on signs and in classical writing (请勿吸烟 'no smoking'). Never used in conversation. 别 is the everyday spoken word.
Don't confuse 别 with
比 (third tone) means 'than / to compare.' 别 (second tone) means 'don't / other.' Different tones, completely different jobs.
另 also means 'other / another' but introduces a specific separate item: 另一个 ('another one [specific]'). 别的 means 'something else / other ones' more generally. Both can translate as 'another,' but 另 picks out a distinct second instance, 别 implies 'not this one.'
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 别 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.