How to Write 甭 (béng) — Meaning “Need not; don't.”

Imagine someone saying 'Béng worry!' while putting a 'not' (不) sign on top of a 'use' (用) machine, meaning you do not need to use it. Alternatively, think of a broken 'use' button: the top part (不) looks like a cross or 'no' symbol over 用, reminding you that using is unnecessary.

Pay attention to the proportion: the top component 不 should be slightly compressed and narrower, while the bottom 用 should be slightly wider, making the whole character balanced. A common mistake is writing the top part too large or forgetting that the horizontal stroke of 不 connects to the vertical stroke of 用; the top stroke of 不 should extend slightly over the left side of 用 but not separate completely.

甭 has the clear component 不 (not) above 用 (use), while 甫 (fǔ) looks like a man with a field (田) and a dot, meaning 'begin' or 'just now,' and 甬 (yǒng) is a path or a bell shape. Visually, 甭 is taller with a distinct top part, whereas 甫 and 甬 are more uniform and do not have the '不' component. In meaning, 甭 is about negation, while 甫 and 甬 have unrelated meanings.

甭 is a colloquial contraction of 不用, commonly used in northern Mandarin and casual conversation to mean 'no need' or 'don't.' You'll often hear it in phrases like 甭客气 (béng kèqì) meaning 'Don't be polite' or 'You're welcome,' and 甭提了 (béng tí le) meaning 'Don't even mention it.' It is considered informal and is rarely used in formal writing, but it reflects a friendly, direct tone in daily speech.

Common words containing 甭 include: 甭客气 (béng kè qì) — Don't mention it; you're welcome.; 甭提了 (béng tí le) — Don't mention it; let's not talk about it.; 甭说 (béng shuō) — Needless to say; let alone..