moenie

Don't: Moenie

Level 2

To tell someone not to do something, start with moenie and end with nie: Moenie huil nie! (Don't cry!)

How It Works

1. The pattern. Moenie + details + infinitive + nie:

  • Moenie huil nie! (Don't cry!)
  • Moenie so hard praat nie. (Don't talk so loudly.)
  • Moenie vergeet om brood te koop nie. (Don't forget to buy bread.)

2. The final nie is needed. Moenie already contains one nie, and the sentence still ends with a second one, as in every negative sentence (see double negation).

3. With is. Because moenie contains moet, the verb after it is an infinitive. For to be, use wees: Moenie laat wees nie! (Don't be late!)

4. Moet ... nie. Moet and nie can also stand apart with a short word between them. This sounds a little more emphatic: Moet hom nie vra nie. (Don't ask him.) When nothing stands between them, speakers nearly always say and write moenie.

5. Always use moenie. A command made only with nie, such as Nie rook nie, is not natural Afrikaans. Say Moenie rook nie.

Tip: Moenie can soften a friendly warning too: Moenie jou bekommer nie. (Don't worry.)

Examples (6)

  1. Moenie huil nie!

    Don't cry!

    Word by Word: Must-not cry not!

  2. Moenie so hard praat nie.

    Don't talk so loudly.

    Word by Word: Must-not so loud talk not.

  3. Moenie vergeet om brood te koop nie!

    Don't forget to buy bread!

    Word by Word: Must-not forget to bread to buy not!

  4. Moenie laat wees nie!

    Don't be late!

    Word by Word: Must-not late be not!

    After moenie, to be is the infinitive wees.

  5. Moenie jou bekommer nie.

    Don't worry.

    Word by Word: Must-not yourself worry not.

    Bekommer is used with jou, a reflexive pronoun.

  6. Moet hom nie vra nie.

    Don't ask him.

    Word by Word: Must him not ask not.

    Moet and nie can stand apart, which sounds a little more emphatic.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the final nie.

    Moenie huil!
    Moenie huil nie!

    Moenie contains one nie, and the sentence still needs a second nie at the end.

  • Using is instead of wees.

    Moenie laat is nie!
    Moenie laat wees nie!

    Moenie comes from moet, so the verb after it must be an infinitive, and the infinitive of is is wees.

  • Making a negative command with nie alone.

    Nie rook nie!
    Moenie rook nie!

    Afrikaans negative commands start with moenie. A command with nie alone does not sound natural.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

moenieLevel 2Don't: Moenie

Learn This First

Moenie makes a negative command.

Words in This Pattern