Genitive with Negated Verbs

Level 4Sounds Like rodny pry admaŭlenní

Negation can turn a direct object into a genitive: Ён мае час → Ён не мае часу. (He has no time.) Я не чуў ніякага шуму. (I did not hear any noise.)

How It Works

A transitive verb takes a direct object in the accusative (accusative for the direct object). When the verb is negated with не, the object often goes into the genitive:

  • Я маю час. → Я не маю часу.
  • Мы атрымалі адказ. → Мы не атрымалі адказу.

Use the genitive:

  • with ніякі, ні and ніводзін, which stress "not any": Я не чуў ніякага шуму. Яна не сказала ні слова. (double negation)
  • with abstract nouns and fixed phrases: не мець часу, не мець права, не звяртаць увагі
  • when the object is general or indefinite, meaning "any": Я не п'ю кавы. (I do not drink coffee.)

The accusative is also common when the object is a specific, known person or thing: Я не бачыў Ганну. Я яшчэ не прачытаў гэтую кнігу. Both cases are correct in sentences like the last one; the genitive гэтай кнігі is the traditional literary choice, and the accusative is common in speech.

What does not change. Objects in other cases keep their case: Я не дапамагаю брату (dative), Ён не цікавіцца спортам (instrumental). The subject stays nominative, except with the verb быць, which becomes няма: see не маю and няма and не было and не будзе.

Many masculine nouns take -у in this genitive: часу, шуму, адказу (masculine genitive -а or -у).

Examples (6)

  1. Я не чуў ніякага шуму.

    I did not hear any noise.

    Word by Word: I not heard no noise.

    With ніякі, the genitive is expected.

  2. Ён не мае часу.

    He has no time.

    Word by Word: He not has time.

  3. Яна не сказала ні слова.

    She did not say a word.

    Word by Word: She not said not-even word.

  4. Мы яшчэ не атрымалі адказу.

    We have not received an answer yet.

    Word by Word: We still not received answer.

  5. Не звяртай на гэта ўвагі.

    Do not pay any attention to that.

    Word by Word: Not turn on this attention.

  6. Я не бачыў Ганну ўжо тыдзень.

    I have not seen Hanna for a week now.

    Word by Word: I not saw Hanna already week.

    A specific person can stay accusative.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a dative object into the genitive.

    Я не дапамагаю брата.
    Я не дапамагаю брату.

    Only accusative objects can switch to the genitive. Дапамагаць takes the dative, and it keeps the dative after не.

  • Using the accusative with ніякі.

    Я не чуў ніякі шум.
    Я не чуў ніякага шуму.

    Ніякі makes the negation stronger, and then the object goes into the genitive.

  • Using the accusative with не мець and an abstract noun.

    Ён не мае час.
    Ён не мае часу.

    With не мець and abstract nouns like час and права, use the genitive.

How It Connects

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Genitive with Negated VerbsLevel 4

Learn This First

Genitive with negation needs absence and the accusative.

Words in This Pattern

неніякінініякі