Negation with Negative Words

Level 4

Postverbal negative words normally combine with no; preposed negative words can occur with or without it.

How It Works

No he vist ningú and no en vull cap are ordinary negative statements. Ningú, res, mai and cap contribute negative meaning in that environment. If a negative word comes first, both ningú no ha vingut and ningú ha vingut occur in standard usage, with explicit no especially useful in careful writing.

The same words can have nonnegative meanings in questions and conditions: vols res? asks whether you want anything. Therefore a phrase containing cap or res is not automatically a negative statement.

Distinguish grammatical negation from reinforcing pas, and distinguish res as a thing from gens as a quantity or degree. Negation affects the whole clause; translating each English negative word separately can produce the wrong structure.

Examples (3)

  1. No he vist ningú.

    I have not seen anyone.

  2. Mai no arriba tard.

    She never arrives late.

  3. Ningú ha contestat.

    Nobody has answered.

How It Connects

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Negation with Negative WordsLevel 4

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Place pronouns within a negative clause before adding negative words.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ningúningúenlloctampocnini