否 is a bound form (b.f.) that does not stand alone as a word. In modern formal Chinese it serves as a negator, appearing in compound words such as 是否 ('whether or not'), 否则 ('otherwise'), and 否认 ('to deny'). The classical meanings 'bad' or 'inferior' are now rare outside of literary fixed expressions. Note that 否 (fǒu) differs from 不 (bù) — it is used only in specific compounds and formal contexts, not for everyday negation.