не + Verb

Negating Verbs with Не

Level 1Sounds Like ne + dzeâsloŭ

Не + verb = negative: Я не ведаю. (I do not know.)

How It Works

Position. Не negates the word right after it. For a normal negative sentence, that word is the verb: Мы не разумеем. (We do not understand.) If you put не before another word, you negate that word instead: Не я, а ён. (Not me, but him.)

Spelling. Не is written as a separate word with verbs: не ведаю, не курыць. It is joined only in a few verbs that do not exist without it, such as ненавідзець (to hate).

Other tenses and moods work the same way:

Not having. To say that someone does not have something or that something is not there, Belarusian uses няма, not не ёсць: У мяне няма часу.

Negative words. With ніхто (nobody), нічога (nothing) and similar words, the verb still takes не: Я нічога не ведаю. See double negation.

Official and classical spelling. Unstressed не sounds close to ня. The official 2008 spelling always writes the separate particle as не. The classical spelling, taraškievica, writes ня in some positions (ня ведаю). You may see it in some media, but this course uses the official spelling.

Examples (6)

  1. Я не ведаю.

    I do not know.

    Word by Word: I not know.

  2. Яна не працуе сёння.

    She is not working today.

    Word by Word: She not works today.

  3. Мы не разумеем.

    We do not understand.

    Word by Word: We not understand.

  4. Ён не курыць.

    He does not smoke.

    Word by Word: He not smokes.

  5. Я не жыву ў Мінску.

    I do not live in Minsk.

    Word by Word: I not live in Minsk.

  6. Не я, а ён.

    Not me, but him.

    Word by Word: Not I, but he.

    Here не comes before я, so it negates the person, not the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing не together with the verb.

    Я неведаю.
    Я не ведаю.

    Не is a separate word with verbs. Only verbs that do not exist without не, such as ненавідзець, are written together.

  • Putting не in front of the subject when you mean the action does not happen.

    Не я ведаю.
    Я не ведаю.

    Не я ведаю means it is not me who knows. To say I do not know, put не right before the verb.

  • Negating ёсць to say you do not have something.

    У мяне не ёсць часу.
    У мяне няма часу.

    Belarusian says няма with the genitive for not having or not being there.

How It Connects

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не + VerbLevel 1Negating Verbs with Не

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Verb negation grows out of answering no.

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Words in This Pattern

не