Emphatic not: không có + verb

In Saigon you'll hear không có before a verb all the time: Hôm qua em không có đi làm. I didn't go to work yesterday. Tui không có biết. I don't know. It means the same as plain không, which you know, with a little extra weight, like stressing "didn't". In everyday Saigon talk it's so common that it often sounds quite neutral.

In Hà Nội it's less usual and mainly insists, especially when you deny something: Tôi không có nói thế! I did not say that! For a strong denial, Saigon also has đâu có: Em đâu có nói vậy!

Before a noun, không có is simply "not have" or "there isn't": Em không có tiền. Before a verb, it's this weightier "not". The word after it tells you which.

Keep không có with a verb for speech; in writing, plain không is better. In casual Saigon talk you'll also hear it shortened to hổng có: Em hổng có biết.