Level 2 · Elementary
Don't: 别
别 + Verb (+ 了) · Traditional: 別 + Verb (+ 了)
别 (bié) before a verb tells someone not to do it: 别说话 "don't talk". It's the imperative "don't" — 不 can't do this job.
Adding 了 turns it into "stop doing it" (they're already doing it): 别看了，睡觉吧 "stop watching, go to sleep".
Examples
别说话。
別說話。
bié shuō huà
Don't talk.
别忘了给我打电话。
別忘了給我打電話。
bié wàng le gěi wǒ dǎ diàn huà
Don't forget to call me.
别看了，睡觉吧。
別看了，睡覺吧。
bié kàn le shuì jiào ba
Stop watching — go to sleep.
上课的时候别玩手机。
上課的時候別玩手機。
shàng kè de shí hou bié wán shǒu jī
Don't play with your phone in class.
Common mistakes
✗ 不说话！
✓ 别说话！
Commands use 别 — 不 just states a fact ("doesn't talk").
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like The Butterfly, The Fly in the Soup, The Kite inside the Literate Chinese app.
