不曾

不曾 is an adverb that means 'have not' or 'never have'. It emphasizes the absence of an action or state in the past, often used to express something that has never occurred or been true.

The character 不 (bù) means 'not', and 曾 (céng) is a classical auxiliary verb indicating past actions. Together, they form a phrase that negates a past event, similar to 'have not done' in English.

不曾在 literary or formal contexts, especially in written Chinese. It is commonly used in narratives or descriptions to highlight the absence of a particular experience or condition. It is less common in casual speech, where simpler constructions like 没有 (méi yǒu) might be preferred.