Saying No in the Past

Level 2

Write ن joined to the verb, with no half-space. A verb that begins with آ takes نی: آمد becomes نیامد.

How It Works

To turn a past verb into a no, put ن at the front. A verb that begins with آ changes too: آمدید becomes نیامدید.

PositiveNegativeMeaning
رفتمنرفتمI did not go
خوردینخوردیyou did not eat
دیدندیدshe did not see
گفتیمنگفتیمwe did not say
آمدیدنیامدیدyou did not come
آوردندنیاوردندthey did not bring

A compound verb puts ن on the verb part: کار نکردم (I did not work), کمک نکرد (she did not help). The past of be works the same way: بودم becomes نبودم.

A short answer repeats the verb. Question: دیروز آمدی؟ Answer: نه، نیامدم.

Learn ن once and use it with every past stem: ندیدم، نگفتم، نخواندم. Do not use نمی‌ for one finished event. نمی‌ with a past stem tells what used to happen.

Examples (5)

  1. دیروز به مکتب نرفتم.

    I did not go to school yesterday.

    ن joins رفتم and makes نرفتم.

  2. شما چای نخوردید.

    You did not drink tea.

    The ending ـید stays, and ن goes in front: نخوردید.

  3. برادرم نامه را نخواند.

    My brother did not read the letter.

    In the past, he and she take no ending: نخواند.

  4. آن‌ها دیروز نیامدند.

    They did not come yesterday.

    آمدن begins with آ, so the negative is نیامد, with a ی.

  5. من کتاب را نیاوردم.

    I did not bring the book.

    آوردن also begins with آ, so it becomes نیاوردم.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the ی with آمدن.

    او دیروز نآمد.
    او دیروز نیامد.

    The negative of آمد is نیامد. A ی sits between ن and the rest.

  • Using the word نه inside the verb.

    من دیروز نه رفتم.
    من دیروز نرفتم.

    نه is the word for no as an answer. Inside the verb, ن joins the stem.

How It Connects

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

Saying No in the PastLevel 2

Learn This First

Saying no in the past puts ن before the simple past.