ne

Not

Level 1

Ne goes in front of what it denies.

How It Works

The little word ne makes a sentence negative. It stands before the word it denies. Most often that word is the verb.

Positive	Negative
Mi manĝas.	Mi ne manĝas.
Ŝi estas hejme.	Ŝi ne estas hejme.
Ili laboras.	Ili ne laboras.

Before the verb, ne denies the whole sentence. You can also put ne before another word to deny only that word: Ana trinkas ne kafon, sed teon (Ana drinks tea, not coffee).

The same word ne is also the answer no.

A question keeps ĉu in front and puts ne before the word it denies: Ĉu vi ne manĝas? (Are you not eating?)

Examples (4)

Mi ne manĝas.
I am not eating.
Ne stands before the verb manĝas.
Ŝi ne estas hejme.
She is not at home.
Ne stands before estas.
Ili ne laboras en Pekino.
They do not work in Beijing.
Ne denies the whole sentence.
Ana trinkas ne kafon, sed teon.
Ana drinks tea, not coffee.
Ne stands before kafon, so it denies only the coffee.

How It Connects

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

neLevel 1Not

Learn This First

Ne goes before the word or phrase it denies, usually the verb.

-asThe Present Tense
Know a verb in the present, because ne usually goes before the verb to deny the clause: Mi ne manĝas.
Level 1

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Practice ne in Bubblegum

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