mitte
Negating a Word (Mitte)
Ma ei lähe mitte koju, vaid tööle means I am not going home but to work. mitte negates koju, and vaid gives the right answer.
How It Works
Estonian has two words for "not":
- ei negates the verb, and so the whole statement: Ma ei lähe koju.
- mitte negates a word or phrase: Ma ei lähe mitte koju, vaid tööle.
Uses of mitte:
- Correcting: mitte ..., vaid ... = "not ..., but ...". Ma ei käinud mitte Prahas, vaid Viinis. The correction uses vaid, with a comma before it.
- Short answers: Mitte mina! (Not me!) Mitte täna. (Not today.) Mitte eriti. (Not really.)
- Stronger negation, together with ei: Ma ei tea mitte midagi. (I know nothing at all.) Mitte keegi ei tulnud. (Nobody came.)
- With infinitives: Palun mitte suitsetada. (Please do not smoke.)
- "Or not": Kas sa tuled või mitte?
To negate a conjugated verb, you always need ei. mitte can add to ei, but it cannot replace it.
Examples (6)
- Ma ei lähe mitte koju, vaid tööle.
I'm not going home, but to work.
Word by Word: I not go not home, but work-to
mitte negates koju; vaid gives the correction.
- Ma ei käinud mitte Prahas, vaid Viinis.
I didn't go to Prague, but to Vienna.
- Kes seda tegi? — Mitte mina!
Who did this? — Not me!
- Ma ei tea mitte midagi.
I don't know anything at all.
mitte strengthens ei ... midagi.
- Palun mitte suitsetada.
Please do not smoke.
mitte goes before an infinitive.
- Kas sa tuled või mitte?
Are you coming or not?
Common Mistakes
Using mitte to negate the verb.
Ma mitte tulen.Ma ei tule.A conjugated verb is negated with ei, which also drops the personal ending: ei tule.
Leaving out ei with mitte midagi.
Ma tean mitte midagi.Ma ei tea mitte midagi.mitte midagi and mitte keegi still need ei before the verb.
Using aga after mitte to give the correction.
Ma tulen mitte täna, aga homme.Ma tulen mitte täna, vaid homme.After mitte, the correcting "but" is vaid. aga adds a contrast; it does not replace the wrong part.
How It Connects
Learn This First
mitte negates a word, often with vaid.
Related Patterns
- Negation with ei
ei negates the verb; mitte negates other words.
Level 1 - ka ei / ka mitteNot Either (Ka Ei, Ka Mitte)
ka mitte means "not ... either" for a single word.
Level 3 - mitte ainult ... vaid kaNot Only ... but Also
mitte ainult ... vaid ka means "not only ... but also".
Level 4 - et mitteIn Order Not to (Et Mitte)
et mitte + da-infinitive means "in order not to".
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice mitte in Bubblegum
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