non

Negation with Non

Level 1

To make a sentence negative, put non before the verb: Falo inglés. becomes Non falo inglés. (I do not speak English.)

How It Works

Basic position. Non sits right before the verb: Non está aquí. (He is not here.), Non teño tempo. (I do not have time.) A subject, if you say one, comes first: Uxía non come carne. (Uxía does not eat meat.)

Answering no. Non alone answers "no". You can repeat it with the verb: Tes fame? Non, non teño fame. (Are you hungry? No, I am not hungry.) See answering with the verb.

With object pronouns. In a positive statement the pronoun follows the verb (Seino., I know it.), but after non it moves before the verb: Non o sei. (I do not know.) See pronoun placement with negatives.

Double negatives are correct. When nada (nothing), ninguén (nobody) or nunca (never) comes after the verb, keep non before the verb: Non vén ninguén. (Nobody is coming.), Non quero nada. (I do not want anything.) See double negation.

Sound. The final n of non is the velar n, like the ng in "sing". See the velar n.

Adding non? at the end of a statement turns it into a question that expects "yes": É de Vigo, non? See tag questions.

Examples (6)

  1. Non falo inglés.

    I do not speak English.

    Word by Word: Not I-speak English.

  2. Non está aquí.

    He is not here. / She is not here.

  3. Non teño tempo.

    I do not have time.

  4. Non o sei.

    I do not know.

    Word by Word: Not it I-know.

    After non, the pronoun o moves in front of the verb.

  5. Non vén ninguén.

    Nobody is coming.

    Word by Word: Not comes nobody.

    Galician keeps non when ninguén follows the verb.

  6. Tes fame? Non, non teño fame.

    Are you hungry? No, I am not hungry.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting non after the verb, as in English "speak not".

    Falo non inglés.
    Non falo inglés.

    Non always goes before the verb. Only an object pronoun can come between them, as in Non o sei.

  • Using the Spanish no.

    No teño tempo.
    Non teño tempo.

    The Galician word is non, with a final n, both for "not" and for "no".

  • Leaving the pronoun after the verb in a negative sentence.

    Non seino.
    Non o sei.

    After non, the pronoun moves in front of the verb, so the joined form seino becomes non o sei.

How It Connects

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nonLevel 1Negation with Non

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