Where the First nie Goes

Level 3

The first nie goes after the verb, pronouns and time words, but before how, where and the final verbs: Ek het hom gister nie gesien nie. (I didn't see him yesterday.)

How It Works

1. After the verb and pronouns. When nie is already the last word, one nie is enough (double negation):

  • Ek sien hom nie. (I don't see him.)

2. After time words. Ek het hom gister nie gesien nie. (I didn't see him yesterday.) Ons gaan môre nie strand toe nie. (We aren't going to the beach tomorrow.)

3. Before manner, place, adjectives and final verbs.

  • Hy werk nie hier nie. (He doesn't work here.)
  • Sy het nie hard gewerk nie. (She didn't work hard.)
  • Ek is nie moeg nie. (I am not tired.)

4. Position changes the meaning. The first nie denies what comes right after it:

  • Ons gaan môre nie strand toe nie. (We aren't going to the beach tomorrow: a plain no.)
  • Ons gaan nie môre strand toe nie. (We aren't going tomorrow: we are going another day.)
  • Ek wil dit nie doen nie. (I don't want to do it.) But Ek wil nie dit doen nie means I don't want to do this thing.

5. Noun objects. With die + noun, both orders are heard. Putting nie first puts the noun in focus: Ek het die boek nie gelees nie and Ek het nie die boek gelees nie (I didn't read the book).

6. The second nie. It always goes at the very end, after the final verbs. With a following clause, see double negation across clauses.

Examples (6)

  1. Ek sien hom nie.

    I don't see him.

    Word by Word: I see him not.

    Nie is already last, so one nie is enough.

  2. Ek het hom gister nie gesien nie.

    I didn't see him yesterday.

    Word by Word: I have him yesterday not seen not.

    The first nie comes after the pronoun hom and the time word gister.

  3. Hy werk nie hier nie.

    He doesn't work here.

    Word by Word: He works not here not.

    The first nie comes before the place word hier.

  4. Sy het nie hard gewerk nie.

    She didn't work hard.

    Word by Word: She has not hard worked not.

  5. Ons gaan môre nie strand toe nie.

    We aren't going to the beach tomorrow.

    Word by Word: We go tomorrow not beach to not.

  6. Ek is nie moeg nie.

    I am not tired.

    Word by Word: I am not tired not.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting nie before a pronoun object when you mean a plain no.

    Ek het nie hom gesien nie.
    Ek het hom nie gesien nie.

    For a plain I didn't see him, nie follows hom. Nie before hom singles him out: I didn't see him, but I saw someone else.

  • Leaving out the first nie before the final verb.

    Ek het hom gesien nie.
    Ek het hom nie gesien nie.

    The first nie comes before the final verb gesien, and the second nie comes at the end.

  • Putting nie after a manner word.

    Sy het hard nie gewerk nie.
    Sy het nie hard gewerk nie.

    Nie comes before manner words such as hard, vinnig and goed.

How It Connects

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Where the First nie GoesLevel 3

Learn This First

Where the first nie goes depends on the rest of the sentence.

Words in This Pattern