否定 (fǒudìng)

否定 means to deny, negate, or reject something, or describes something that is negative in character.

Meanings

[verb] to negate; to deny; to reject; to nullify
[adjective] negative (as opposed to affirmative)

Example Sentences

他否定了所有的指控。 Tā fǒudìngle suǒyǒu de zhǐkòng. He denied all the accusations.

这种做法完全否定了之前的努力。 Zhè zhǒng zuòfǎ wánquán fǒudìngle zhīqián de nǔlì. This approach completely negates all previous efforts.

在语法上，"不"和"没"用来构成否定句。 Zài yǔfǎ shàng, "bù" hé "méi" yòng lái gòuchéng fǒudìng jù. In grammar, "不" and "没" are used to form negative sentences.

你不应该全盘否定他的建议，其中有些是有价值的。 Nǐ bù yīnggāi quánpán fǒudìng tā de jiànyì, qízhōng yǒuxiē shì yǒu jiàzhí de. You should not completely reject his suggestions; some of them are valuable.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
全盘否定	to completely reject/negate
否定句	negative sentence (grammar)
否定回答	negative answer
自我否定	self-negation; to deny oneself

Usage Notes

否定 is the antonym of 肯定 (to affirm/confirm). It is more formal than simply saying 不 (no) and is used in contexts such as logic, grammar, and debate. The phrase 全盘否定 (to reject entirely) carries a strong sense of wholesale dismissal and is frequently used in discussions or arguments.

Memory Hook

否 means "to negate/no" and 定 means "to decide/determine" -- 否定 is deciding to say no, i.e., to negate or deny.