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# mei

Mandarin pinyin (méi = not have; měi = beautiful, every; Měiguó = America); name (Mei) — not an English word

«mei» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (Mandarin, pinyin) «Méi» means «not» or «don't have»: «méiyǒu» is «there isn't» or «I haven't got». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#m1)
2. (Mandarin, pinyin) «Měi» means «beautiful» and also «every»: «měitiān» is «every day». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#m2)
3. (Mandarin, pinyin) «Měiguó» means «America», the USA, literally «beautiful country». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#m3)
4. (a name) Mei is a girl's name, used in China and Japan. To an English ear it sounds like «may». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#m4)

### In the lessons

In Mandarin lessons pupils learn «méi guānxi» (it doesn't matter, no problem), «méiyǒu» (haven't got) and «měitiān» (every day). In stories and anime Mei is a character's name. Heard on the street in Chinatowns and Chinese families, «méiyǒu» is a common short answer meaning «no, there isn't any».

### Examples

- In Mandarin, «méi guānxi» means «never mind». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x1)
- «Wǒ méiyǒu gēge» means «I haven't got an older brother». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x2)
- «Měitiān» means «every day». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x3)
- «Měiguó» is the Mandarin name for America. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x4)
- My friend Mei is learning the violin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x5)
- Pinyin «mei» sounds like the English name «May». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x6)
- «Méiyǒu!» the shopkeeper said — there were none left. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/#x7)

### Note

Not an English word. In pinyin the tone mark changes the meaning: «méi» (rising: not have) and «měi» (dipping: beautiful, every) are different words. As a name it takes a capital: «Mei». Do not read it as «me» or «my».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mei» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mei/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mei» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mei.html) on Mova free.