не + Verb

Negation with Не

Level 1Sounds Like ne + glagol

Put не directly before the verb: Не разбирам. (I don't understand.)

How It Works

To make a sentence negative, put не before the verb.

  • Разбирам. (I understand.) → Не разбирам. (I don't understand.)
  • Тя работи днес. → Тя не работи днес. (She is not working today.)

English adds do or does. Bulgarian does not need any extra word.

Short pronouns. Short words such as го (him, it), ми (to me) and се cannot come after the verb in a negative sentence. They stand between не and the verb:

  • Знам го. (I know it.) → Не го знам. (I don't know it.)
  • Харесва ми. (I like it.) → Не ми харесва. (I don't like it.)

See placement of short pronouns.

Special negatives. Имам (I have) becomes нямам, and има (there is) becomes няма. For the future, Bulgarian uses няма да. To negate съм, see negating съм.

Не with other negative words. Words like нищо (nothing) and никой (nobody) still need не before the verb: Нищо не разбирам. See negative words with не.

Examples (6)

  1. Не разбирам.

    I don't understand.

    Word by Word: Not I-understand.

  2. Тя не работи днес.

    She is not working today.

    Word by Word: She not works today.

  3. Не го знам.

    I don't know him.

    Word by Word: Not him I-know.

    The short pronoun го goes between не and the verb.

  4. Не ми харесва.

    I don't like it.

    Word by Word: Not to-me pleases.

  5. Защо не идваш с нас?

    Why aren't you coming with us?

    Word by Word: Why not you-come with us?

  6. Днес не пия кафе.

    I am not drinking coffee today.

    Word by Word: Today not I-drink coffee.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting не after the verb.

    Аз разбирам не.
    Аз не разбирам.

    Не comes before the verb, never after it.

  • Leaving a short pronoun after the verb in a negative sentence.

    Не знам го.
    Не го знам.

    In a negative sentence, the short pronoun moves between не and the verb.

  • Negating имам with не.

    Не имам време.
    Нямам време.

    Имам has its own negative form: нямам (I don't have). The same happens with има → няма.

How It Connects

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не + VerbLevel 1Negation with Не

Learn This First

Negation needs a conjugated verb to negate.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

не разбирамнямамняма