Do 不 and 没 have any difference in the 把 structure?

Question

I am specifically asking about the 把...完了 structure. Is there any difference between 他没把钱花完。and 他不把钱花完。Wouldn't both of them be translated as "He did not spend (finish up) the money."

Answer 1

The difference between 他没把钱花完 and 他不把钱花完:

不把钱花完 = not spending all the money (intentionally)

没把钱花完 = didn't spend all the money (intentionally or unintentionally)

Another example:

不把工作做完 = not finishing all the work (intentionally)

没把工作做完 = didn't finish all the work (intentionally or unintentionally)

Answer 2

他没把钱花完。= He did not spend all of the money. = In fact he still has some money left.

他不把钱花完。= 他不想把钱花完。= 他不会把钱花完。= He does not want to spend all of the money.

Answer 3

Generally, with 没 we're referring to a one-off occurrence that hasn't happened, whereas with 不 we're referring to habitually and intentionally not doing something. A good example highlighting the difference is: 他不做作业 ("he doesn't do homework") and 他没做作业 ("he didn't do his homework").

We add a 把 to a sentence to modify the word order, and this is typically done to avoid grammar errors or to emphasize a certain part of what's being said.

In principle, there's no difference between e.g. 他没花完钱 (without the 把) and 他没把钱花完 (with the 把) [they both mean "he hasn't spent all the money"], but in practice, there's going to be slightly different emphasis, appropriate contexts, and grammar concerns; natural languages have lots of nuances and exceptions.

A sentence like 他不花完钱 or 他不把钱花完 would mean "he doesn't spend all the money"; this might make sense in a context where he's repeatedly receiving money (e.g. through a salary). It's not the same as 没.

In short, the difference between 不 and 没 within 把 sentences is much the same as the difference between 不 and 没 within non-把 sentences.

Answer 4

This may not be the standard answer, just speaking in the sense of a native speaker.

I would say that “把” is not crucial here, it' s just a structure to order the sentence. "没" could be regard as the abbreviation of "没有" (i.e. have not), while "不" have merely pure negative meaning as "No".

So
他没(有)把钱花完 -> He hasn't spend all the money.
他不把钱花完 -> He doesn't spend all the money.(more feels like he doesn't want to)

老师说不把作业做完的学生不能回家 -> The teacher says that the students who don't finish the assignment can't go home.(They can definitely finish it now and go home)
老师说没把作业做完的学生不能回家 -> The teacher says that the students who haven't finish the assignment can't go home.(This one is ambiguous, he may be trying to keep those who didn't finish, or he may allow them to finish it and go home)

and keep in mind not in all scenes does 没有 translated as "have not", for more check this.

Back to "把", here it is only a structure to make sentence ordered as "somebody make/get something done/ adj."

Like
他不把钱花完 -> he doesn't make the money all spent(weird, I tried my best to translate this)
没把作业做完的学生 -> student who haven't get homework finished.

Answer 5

1. 不把 = without exhausting/finishing something.

• 1a. 他不把钱花完不肯回家 - Without spending all money he won't go home.

• 1b. 老师说不把作业做完的学生不能回家 - The teacher says that without finishing the assignment the student can't go home.

2. 没把 = not until/till exhausting/finishing something.

• 2a. 他没把钱花完不肯回家 - Not until spends all money he won't go home.

• 2b. 老师说没把作业做完的学生不能回家 - The teacher says that not till finishes the assignment the student can't go home.

Note that while sentences using both terms sound similar, 不把 has a stronger sense of determination (determined to/must), and is more strict when making demands.