the use of 有 or 沒有

[mr. fanglang]

Strictly speaking, i've been taught that 有 should only be used to denote posession of something. and it should not be used to modify another verb.

so, is this sentence gramatically incorrect?: 你有沒有去(a certain place)? in this case, 有 is used to modify a verb (去), as in 有去. so the reply could be "我有去(that place)".

if this is wrong, i nonetheless hear native chinese speakers use it this way all the time.

[md1101]

i hear it all the time. like 你去过了没? 我没去 或者 我没有去。。 and so i use it that way as well... im sure its gramatically correct... but i do pay more attention to speaking rather than grammar books.

[mr. fanglang]

Following up on the above comment, I've been specifically told by more than one chinese teacher that the gramatically correct response should be 我没去 rather than 我没有去. but i guess even native chinese speakers ignore this rule.

[HashiriKata]

As for a reply to 你有沒有去(a certain place)? , I have no problems with 我没有去 but I don't think I've ever heard 有去 or 我有去. Some native speakers please confirm about 有去 or 我有去.

[xiaocai]

I think its alright to me.

I feel that the expression "我有去" may originate from some southern dialects, but now we do use it in mandarin.

[semantic nuance]

You can ask:

1. 你有沒有去+ a place/ to do something?

ex: 1a. 你有沒有去學校?

1b. 你有去學校嗎?

1c. 你有沒有去寄信?(mailing the letter)

1d, 你有去寄信嗎?

2.你去+a place/ to do something了沒?

ex: 2a. 你去學校了沒?

2b. 你去寄信了沒?

You can answer:

1. Affirmative: (有). 我有去/ 我去過了 (depends on what you try to express)

2. Negative: 沒(有), 我沒去/ 我沒有去

( ) means you can omit it or keep it.

Some native speakers please confirm about 有去 or 我有去.

Yes, we do say that.

Hope it helps!

[Jose]

As xiaocai has said, this use of 有 in affirmative sentences is more common in southern dialects. So, sentences like 我有去 or 你有沒有去? usually sound fine to speakers from the south and are very common indeed in Taiwan Mandarin. Some speakers from the north frown upon such sentences, though, and would always use forms like 我去了, 你去了沒有? (or 你去了嗎?). Note that 沒有 is always used for the negative form, regardless of region. The 有 is usually omitted when another verb follows, so 沒去 is just short for 沒有去.

So, if you go to Taipei, you will often hear:

A: 你有沒有去學校? B: 有 / 沒有

But in Beijing, you're more likely to hear:

A: 你去了學校沒有? B: 去了 / 沒有

[rockytriton]

I'm sure a lot of native speakers have bad grammar too, try going to inner city Washington D.C. if you want an example of bad grammar in English.