The verb “有yǒu” has several meanings. It is used to express possession or existence and appears in comparison expressions.
有yǒu indicating ownership
有 yǒu is a possessive verb meaning “to have.”
我有两个弟弟。Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè dìdì. (I have two younger brothers.)
他家有五口人。Tā jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén. (There are five people in his family.)
我有很多中国朋友。Wǒ yǒu hěnduō zhōngguó péngyǒu. (I have many Chinese friends.)
没méi as negative of 有yǒu
By putting 没 méi (not 不 bù) in front of 有 Yǒu, it is negated:
我没有蛋糕。Wǒ méiyǒu dàngāo. (I don’t have any cake.)
他没有中文课本。Tā méiyǒu zhòng wén kèběn. (He has no Chinese textbook.)
我没有挪威同事。Wǒ méiyǒu nuówēi tóngshì. (I have no Norwegian colleagues.)
没有méiyǒu is frequently shortened to 没 méi in speech:
我没钱。Wǒ méi qián. (I have no money.)
我没空。Wǒ méi kōng. ( I’m busy. )
我没女朋友。Wǒ méi nǚ péngyǒu. (I don’t have a girlfriend.).
有yǒu indicates change or development
有 yǒu frequently denotes evolution or change:
这几年，广州有很大的改变。Zhè jǐ nián, Guǎngzhōu yǒu hěn dà de gǎibiàn. (In recent years, Guangzhou has undergone significant changes.)
你的中文有进步。Nǐ de zhōngwén yǒu jìnbù. (Your Chinese has improved.)
她的生活有改善。Tā de shēnghuó yǒu gǎishàn. (Her life has improved.)
有yǒu constructing idiomatic expressions
Abstract nouns frequently form idiomatic expressions that sound like English adjectives using 有yǒu. These are commonly used as predicates for gradable adjectives and can be modified with degree adverbs:
这部电影真有意思。Zhè bù diànyǐng zhēn yǒuyìsi. (This movie is really interesting.)
你的方法真有用。Nǐ de fāngfǎ zhēn yǒuyòng. (Your method really works.)
那部小说真有趣。Nà bù xiǎoshuō zhēn yǒuqù. (That novel is so gripping.)
有yǒu introducing adjectival predicates
You can also use 有yǒu to begin an adjectival predicate with a number 有:
这个西瓜有三公斤重。Zhège xīguā yǒu sān gōngjīn zhòng. (This watermelon weighs three kilograms.)
这栋楼有一百米高。Zhè dòng lóu yǒu yībǎi mǐ gāo. (The building is one hundred meters high.)
我家离公司三公里远。Wǒjiā lí gōngsī sān gōnglǐ yuǎn. (My home is three kilometers away from the company.)
You can ask a question about age, time, distance, and so on by adding 多duō (how) and an adjective after 有yǒu:
你有多高？Nǐ yǒu duō gāo? (How tall are you?)
你家离这有多远？Nǐ jiā lí zhè yǒu duō yuǎn? (How far is your home from here?)
你弟弟有多大？Nǐ dìdì yǒu duōdà? (how old is your brother)
