不 Or 别

[xianhua]

I feel there must be a discussion on this somewhere, but my searches have returned nothing. I'm seeking clarification on the circumstances under which 别 can be replaced (as a negation) by 不.

别哭 sounds more familiar, but then I've also heard 不哭. And then 别担心 sounds more familiar, but 不担心 is also correct (as I understand it).

[Glenn]

As I understand it 別 is a negative command, and 不 is just a negation. So the meanings of those are different.

[xianhua]

So if we instruct the child '别哭' we are issuing a command, but if we say 不哭, we are simply asking them not to cry (in a more sympathetic manner)?

[calibre2001]

If you're telling a person to not vry or worry, then 別哭,別担心 or 不要哭. 不要担心 is just fine

If you;re describing a scene where the person didn't cry or isn't worrying, then 不哭，沒(有）哭,不担心,沒(有）担心

I stand corrected however.

[happylake]

'别' can be used to

1) dissuade somebody from doing something

Example: 别走了。 Don’t go away.

2) forbid somebody to do something

Example: 别开门！ Don’t open the door!

In the first sense '别' equals '不要' while in the second sense it is equivalent to '不许'. Normally, '别' indicates dissuasion, but if the speaker adopts a commanding or sharp tone, '别' denotes prohibition. A case in point is '别哭'.

'不' is, generally speaking, a negation.

Examples: 我不哭。 I won’t cry.

他不哭，光笑。 He didn’t cry. Instead, he kept laughing.

我不担心。 I’m not worried.

他不担心。 He isn’t worried.

But sometimes '不' may mean '不要':

1) in some polite formulas

Example: 不客气。 You are welcome. / Don’t mention it.

2) in an attempt to reassure or cajole somebody

Example: 宝贝不哭。 / 宝贝别哭。 Don’t cry, baby.

[Guoke]

They can be used together.

别不识好歹

别不好意思

别不听话

别不高兴

别不相信微笑可以救你的命

目不别视

要不别乱吼

要么做好，要不别做

要不别走了

告而不别

[xiaocai]

I think you can replace 別 in this sense with 不要 most of the time.