нито for Not Even

Not Even with Нито

Level 5Sounds Like nito za usilvane

Нито makes a negative stronger: Не каза нито дума (He didn't say a single word).

How It Works

1. What нито adds. Той не каза нищо (He said nothing) is a plain statement. Той не каза нито дума (He didn't say a single word) stresses that the amount was zero.

2. Typical words after нито. Nouns for small amounts or single units: нито дума (not a word), нито капка (not a drop), нито минута (not a minute), нито стотинка (not a penny), нито веднъж (not once), and нито един / една / едно (not a single one).

3. Keep не on the verb. Bulgarian uses double negation, just as with никой and нищо. The verb keeps не whether the нито-phrase comes after it or before it: Не остана нито един билет and Нито един билет не остана both mean Not a single ticket was left. With нямам or няма, the negation is already in the verb: Нямам нито стотинка (I don't have a single penny).

4. With no verb. In short exclamations, нито alone is enough: Нито дума на никого! (Not a word to anyone!), Нито крачка назад! (Not one step back!).

5. Not the same as нито... нито. When нито is repeated, it links two options: нито чай, нито кафе (neither tea nor coffee). See нито... нито. For even in a positive sentence, use дори: Дори детето знае (Even the child knows).

6. An older variant. In literary and folk texts you may meet ни with the same meaning: ни дума. In everyday speech, use нито.

Examples (6)

  1. Той не каза нито дума през цялата вечер.

    He didn't say a single word all evening.

  2. Нито един ученик не закъсня.

    Not a single student was late.

    Word by Word: Not-even one student not was-late.

    The нито-phrase comes first, and the verb still keeps не.

  3. Не съм пил нито капка алкохол.

    I haven't drunk a single drop of alcohol.

  4. Нямам нито стотинка в джоба си.

    I don't have a single penny in my pocket.

    Нямам is already negative, so no extra не is needed.

  5. Нито дума на мама!

    Not a word to Mom!

    An exclamation with no verb: нито carries the negation alone.

  6. Не спах нито минута тази нощ.

    I didn't sleep a single minute last night.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping не from the verb.

    Той каза нито дума.
    Той не каза нито дума.

    When a sentence has a verb, нито does not replace не. The verb must stay negative.

  • Leaving out не when the нито-phrase comes first.

    Нито един ученик закъсня.
    Нито един ученик не закъсня.

    Unlike English "not a single", нито at the start does not make the verb positive. Keep не before the verb.

How It Connects

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

нито for Not EvenLevel 5Not Even with Нито

Learn This First

Not even with нито follows neither ... nor.

Words in This Pattern

нито