Negating the Periphrastic Past

Level 2

Put no before the auxiliary of the periphrastic past and before any preverbal pronouns.

How It Works

Place no before the verb: no vinc, no tenim temps. With a weak pronoun, put no before the pronoun as well: no el veig, no m'agrada. No does not change for the subject's person or number.

In the periphrastic past, no stands before the finite auxiliary: no vaig dormir. The infinitive keeps its ordinary form, and the auxiliary still agrees with the subject. Do not insert no between the auxiliary and infinitive to negate the whole event.

When a pronoun precedes the auxiliary, the order is no + pronoun + auxiliary: no el vaig veure. A pronoun attached to the infinitive is also possible: no vaig veure'l. Keep negative words such as res after the relevant verb phrase unless you deliberately place them before it: no vam entendre res.

Examples (3)

  1. No vaig comprar el llibre.

    I did not buy the book.

  2. No vam entendre res.

    We did not understand anything.

  3. No el van trobar.

    They did not find it.

How It Connects

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Negating the Periphrastic PastLevel 2

Learn This First

Place no before the finite verb. Identify the auxiliary in the completed-past construction.

Words in This Pattern