Not or No before an adjective?

Question

Hi teachers!I have seen a usage of "No" that I am confused about many times today,and it is:&lt;I am no expert.&gt;Looking up the words no and not in longman dic,I found that the word NO is never adv that could make the adj. after an opposite meaning just like the word NOT.And there also have some similar examples that I have heard:&lt;It's no use fussing around.&gt;&lt;It's no good.&gt;Please help me work this out,and if possible, please explain the meaning of "no good" by the way.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AUGdoraI found that the word NO is never an adverb that could make the adjective after an opposite meaning just like the word NOT.

Please don't use so many abbreviations. It's hard to follow your post like that. Also, I don't understand the underlined clause — nor the following phrase for that matter. But maybe that clause is not so important anyway.

Many dictionaries list 'no' as an adverb, so I don't know why Longman does not. In one of your sentences it is definitely an adverb: It's no good. That's an adverb of degree. It tells us to what degree it is good. And that is "not at all (good)", so the adverb 'no' modifies the adjective 'good'.

The other two examples are different.

I'm no expert. / It's no use fussing around.

In these 'no' is a determiner like 'a', 'an', and 'the'.

CJ

Not or No before an adjective?

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