Negating a Claim or One Constituent
לא can deny a whole claim or contrast one part with an alternative. Read the negative word together with the clause and the contrasted phrase.
How It Works
An Event or a Participant
דנה לא באה denies Dana’s coming. לא דנה באה, אלא יעל corrects who came: the arrival is affirmed for Yael, while Dana is the denied alternative.
A Contrasted Reason
קניתי אותו בגלל התוכן, לא בגלל המחיר affirms the purchase and identifies its reason as the content. The phrase לא בגלל המחיר denies the alternative reason of price.
A Contrasted Recipient
דיברתי איתו, לא איתך affirms the speaking and contrasts its recipient. The negative phrase concerns you as the alternative recipient, rather than denying that the conversation took place.
Examples (4)
- דנה לא באה.
Dana did not come.
The coming event is denied for Dana.
- לא דנה באה, אלא יעל.
It was Yael who came, not Dana.
The identity of the arriver is corrected.
- קניתי אותו בגלל התוכן, לא בגלל המחיר.
I bought it because of the content, not because of the price.
The purchase is affirmed while one reason is denied.
- דיברתי איתו, לא איתך.
I spoke with him, not with you.
The conversation is affirmed while its other possible participant is denied.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Distinguish denying a full claim from correcting one part of it.
Related Patterns
Practice Negating a Claim or One Constituent in Bubblegum
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