не ще + Verb

The Literary Negative Future Не Ще

Level 6Sounds Like ne ŝe

Не ще + present is a literary negative future: Не ще забравя. (I shall not forget.) Everyday speech says Няма да забравя.

How It Works

1. The literary future. Не ще + present tense: не ще забравя (I shall not forget), не ще се върнем (we shall not return), Ти не ще ме видиш повече. (You shall not see me again.) Short pronouns come after ще, just as in бъдеще време с ще. The effect is solemn, like English shall not.

2. A fixed phrase. Не ще и съмнение means "there is no doubt" and is still used in writing: Не ще и съмнение, че е прав.

3. The verb ща: "want". Ще comes from the old verb ща (want). In colloquial speech that verb survives, mostly with не, and it conjugates: не ща, не щеш, не ще, не щем, не щете, не щат. So Той не ще да яде means "He doesn't want to eat", not a future. The phrase не щеш ли means "and wouldn't you know it", introducing something unexpected.

4. How to tell them apart. In the future meaning, ще is fixed and the verb follows directly: не ще забравим. In the "want" meaning, the verb ща changes for person and is usually followed by да or used alone: Не щем! (We don't want to!)

5. Spelling. Write не separately: не ще (see правопис на не).

Examples (6)

  1. Не ще забравя този ден.

    I shall not forget this day.

    Literary negative future; everyday: Няма да забравя.

  2. Ти не ще ме видиш повече.

    You shall not see me again.

  3. Не ще и съмнение, че е прав.

    There is no doubt that he is right.

    A fixed phrase.

  4. Той не ще да яде супа.

    He doesn't want to eat soup.

    Colloquial ща = want; this is not a future.

  5. Не ща да ходя там!

    I don't want to go there!

  6. Не щеш ли, точно тогава влезе директорът.

    And wouldn't you know it, just then the director walked in.

Common Mistakes

  • Changing ще for person in the future meaning.

    Не щем забравим.
    Не ще забравим.

    The future particle ще never changes; the person is shown by the verb. Не щем on its own means "we don't want".

  • Using не ща when you mean a plain future.

    Не ща да отида на срещата, защото съм болен.
    Няма да отида на срещата, защото съм болен.

    Не ща да means "I don't want to". For "I won't go" in everyday speech, use няма да.

  • Writing не and ще as one word.

    Неще забравя.
    Не ще забравя.

    The particle не is written separately from a following verb form.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

не ще + VerbLevel 6The Literary Negative Future Не Ще

Learn This First

Не ще follows няма да.

Words in This Pattern

щаняма