не + Past Tense
Negating the Past
Не goes directly before the past verb: Я не бачыў яго. (I did not see him.)
How It Works
You already negate the present with не: Я не ведаю. (I do not know.) The past works the same way: Я не ведаў. (I did not know.) See negating verbs with не. English uses did not, has not or was not, but Belarusian only needs не and one past verb:
- Я не бачыў. I did not see. / I have not seen.
- Яна не была ў Мінску. She was not in Minsk. / She has not been to Minsk.
- Яны не прыйшлі. They did not come.
Where не goes matters. Не negates the word right after it. Я не бачыў Андрэя means I did not see Andrei. Я бачыў не Андрэя means I saw someone, but it was not Andrei.
Negative words. Ніхто (nobody), нічога (nothing) and ніколі (never) still need не before the verb: Я нічога не купіў. (I did not buy anything.) See double negation.
Which aspect? An imperfective verb with не says the action did not happen at all: Я не чытаў гэтую кнігу. (I have not read this book.) A perfective verb with не says the action did not reach its result: Я не прачытаў кнігу. (I did not finish the book.) See the imperfective aspect.
Not there. Я не быў дома is correct, but Belarusian also often says someone was absent with не было and the genitive: Мяне не было дома. (I was not at home.) That pattern is taught in absence in the past and future.
Examples (6)
- Я не бачыў яго.
I did not see him.
Word by Word: I not saw him.
- Яна не была ў Мінску.
She has not been to Minsk.
Word by Word: She not was in Minsk.
- Учора ён не працаваў.
He did not work yesterday.
Word by Word: Yesterday he not worked.
- Чаму ты не патэлефанаваў?
Why didn't you call?
Word by Word: Why you not called?
- Я нічога не зразумеў.
I did not understand anything.
Word by Word: I nothing not understood.
Нічога still needs не before the verb.
- Мы не чыталі гэтую кнігу.
We have not read this book.
Word by Word: We not read this book.
The imperfective says the reading never happened.
Common Mistakes
Dropping не when the sentence already has a negative word such as нічога.
Я нічога бачыў.Я нічога не бачыў.Belarusian uses double negation. Ніхто, нічога and ніколі always need не before the verb.
Putting не after the verb when you mean the whole action did not happen.
Я бачыў не яго.Я не бачыў яго.Я бачыў не яго means I saw someone, just not him. To say you did not see him, не must come before the verb.
Changing the verb's gender because of не.
Яна не быў дома.Яна не была дома.Не does not change the ending. The verb still agrees with яна, so it is была.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The negative past needs negation and past forms.
Related Patterns
- Past Tense of быць
The past forms of быць that often appear with не.
Level 2 - ніхто / нічога + не + VerbNegative Words with Double Negation
Negative words that still need не before the verb.
Level 2 - Imperfective Aspect
An imperfective verb with не says the action never happened.
Level 2 - не было / не будзе + GenitiveAbsence in the Past and Future
A common way to say someone or something was not there.
Level 3 - Genitive with Negated Verbs
Some negated verbs put their object in the genitive.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice не + Past Tense in Bubblegum
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