недей да + Verb
Don't with Недей Да
To tell someone not to do something, say недей да and a verb: Недей да плачеш. (Don't cry.) To several people, or to someone you call Вие, say недейте да.
How It Works
1. The pattern.
- To one person you call ти: Недей да плачеш. (Don't cry.)
- To several people, or to one person you call Вие: Недейте да се притеснявате. (Don't worry.)
The verb after да is a normal present-tense form, and it must match the listener: недей да ходиш, недейте да ходите. See familiar ти and polite Вие.
2. Two ways to say "don't". You can also use не with the imperative. Не плачи! and Недей да плачеш! both mean "Don't cry!". The недей да version often sounds softer, so people use it a lot when they comfort or advise someone.
3. Which verb. Telling someone not to do something normally uses the imperfective verb (see aspect in commands): Недей да казваш (Don't tell), Недей да купуваш (Don't buy it).
4. Short words go after да. Се and short pronouns such as ми or го stand right after да, before the verb: Недей да се тревожиш. (Don't worry.) Недей да ми звъниш късно. (Don't call me late.)
5. On its own. Недей! or Недейте! alone means "Don't!" when it is clear what the person was about to do.
Good to know: you may also meet недей with a special short verb form and no да, as in недей казва (don't tell) or недей тъгува (don't be sad). It is correct but sounds old-fashioned or folksy. As a learner, use недей да with the present tense. Never put an imperative after недей: недей пиши and недейте пишете are wrong.
Examples (6)
- Недей да плачеш.
Don't cry.
Плачеш is the ти form of плача (cry), matching one familiar listener.
- Недейте да се притеснявате, всичко е наред.
Don't worry, everything is fine.
Недейте goes with the вие form притеснявате; се comes right after да.
- Недей да казваш на мама.
Don't tell Mom.
The imperfective казваш is the usual choice in a negative command.
- Недей да ми звъниш след десет.
Don't call me after ten.
The short pronoun ми stands between да and the verb.
- Недейте да пушите тук, моля.
Please don't smoke here.
A polite request to one or more people, with the вие form пушите.
- — Да ти помогна ли? — Недей, ще се справя сам.
"Shall I help you?" "Don't, I'll manage on my own."
Недей alone refuses the offer when the action is already clear.
Common Mistakes
Putting an imperative after недей.
Недей пиши!Недей да пишеш!After недей comes да and a present-tense verb (пишеш), not a command form (пиши). You can also simply say Не пиши!
Using the wrong person after да.
Недей да плача.Недей да плачеш.The verb names what the listener should not do, so it takes the ти form after недей and the вие form after недейте. Плача means "I cry".
Mixing недейте with a singular verb.
Недейте да се притесняваш.Недейте да се притеснявате.Недейте speaks to several people or politely to one, so the verb must be the вие form притеснявате.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Don't with недей да combines the imperative with да.
Related Patterns
- не + VerbNegation with Не
Не with a command is the other common way to say "don't": Не плачи! means the same as Недей да плачеш!
Level 1 - Aspect in Commands
Explains why negative commands, including недей да, usually take the imperfective verb.
Level 3 - ти / ВиеFamiliar Ти and Polite Вие
Decides whether you say недей (familiar, one person) or недейте (plural or polite).
Level 1 - да + Verb (Command)Commands with Да
Another command built with да, as in Да не забравиш! (Don't forget!).
Level 4 - Placement of Short Pronouns
Short pronouns and се go after да and before the verb: Недей да ми звъниш.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice недей да + Verb in Bubblegum
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