ніхто / нічога + не + Verb

Negative Words with Double Negation

Level 2Sounds Like níhto níčoga + ne

ні- word + не + verb: Ніхто не ведае, Я нічога не бачу, Ён ніколі не спазняецца.

How It Works

Negative words are made by adding ні- to question words:

  • ніхто (nobody) ← хто
  • нічога, нішто (nothing) ← што
  • ніколі (never) ← калі
  • нідзе (nowhere, place) ← дзе
  • нікуды (nowhere, direction) ← куды
  • ніякі (no, not any) ← які
  • нічый (nobody's) ← чый

Put не directly before the verb, as in ordinary negation. A sentence can have several ні- words, but it still has only one не: Ніхто нікому нічога не сказаў (Nobody said anything to anyone).

Нічога or нішто? Нічога is the usual word for nothing after a negated verb: Я нічога не бачу (I don't see anything). Нішто is used mainly as the subject: Нішто не змянілася (Nothing has changed).

With a preposition, the preposition goes between ні and the rest of the word, and the three are written separately: ні з кім (with nobody), ні пра што (about nothing), ні ў кога (nobody has): Я ні з кім не размаўляў (I didn't talk to anyone).

Short answers. A ні- word can stand on its own: — Хто там? — Ніхто. (Who's there? Nobody.) — Што ты робіш? — Нічога. (What are you doing? Nothing.)

Няма already contains the negation, so it does not need another не: Ключоў нідзе няма (The keys are nowhere to be found). Do not mix up ні- words with няма каго, няма чаго (there is no one to …, there is nothing to …), which use няма with an infinitive. The pair ні … ні (neither … nor) also takes не on the verb.

Examples (6)

  1. Ніхто не ведае, дзе ён.

    Nobody knows where he is.

    Word by Word: Nobody not knows where he.

  2. Я нічога не бачу.

    I can't see anything.

    Word by Word: I nothing not see.

  3. Ён ніколі не спазняецца.

    He is never late.

    Word by Word: He never not is-late.

  4. Мы сёння нікуды не ідзём.

    We are not going anywhere today.

    Word by Word: We today nowhere not go.

    нікуды is for direction, like куды.

  5. Я ні з кім не размаўляў.

    I didn't talk to anyone.

    Word by Word: I not with whom not talked.

    The preposition з goes between ні and кім.

  6. Ключоў нідзе няма.

    The keys are nowhere to be found.

    Word by Word: Of-keys nowhere is-not.

    няма already carries the negation.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out не, as in English.

    Ніхто ведае.
    Ніхто не ведае.

    A ні- word needs не before the verb. The two together make one negative.

  • Using нешта to say "not anything".

    Я не бачу нешта.
    Я нічога не бачу.

    To say that you see nothing at all, use нічога with не. Я не бачу нешта means that there is one particular thing you do not see.

  • Putting the preposition before ні.

    Я не размаўляў з нікім.
    Я ні з кім не размаўляў.

    The preposition goes inside the negative word: ні з кім, ні пра што, ні ў кога.

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ніхто / нічога + не + VerbLevel 2Negative Words with Double Negation

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Negative words need не and question words.

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Words in This Pattern

ніхтоніштоніколіне