sem
Neither / Not Either
Use sem (or its short form se) to say 'neither' or 'not either'. It is the negative version of is (also).
How It Works
The particle sem is essential for building fluency in Hungarian negation. It functions as a 'negative additive.'
1. Placement and Meaning
The position of sem depends on its function:
- Additive ('also not'): It follows the word. Péter sem eszik. (Péter isn't eating either.)
- Correlative ('neither... nor'): It precedes both items. Sem Péter, sem Anna nem eszik. (Neither Péter nor Anna is eating.)
- Emphatic ('not even'): It follows the word being emphasized. Egy szót sem mondott. (He didn't say even one word.)
2. Sem vs. Se
Sem is the standard form. Se is a common short version. However, in negative commands, you must use se because sem is a combination of is + nem (indicative), while commands require ne.
3. Special Contractions
When sem is used with the 3rd person forms of 'to be' (nincs/nincsenek), they merge:
- sem + nincs = sincs (is not either)
- sem + nincsenek = sincsenek (are not either)
4. Double Negatives
Hungarian uses negative concord. If a sentence starts with a negative pronoun like senki (nobody) or semmi (nothing), it is usually followed by sem or nem.
Examples (5)
- Én sem beszélek németül.
I don't speak German either.
Word by Word: I neither speak German-in.
Here, 'sem' follows 'én' (I) to show that the speaker, like someone else mentioned before, does not speak German.
- Ez a könyv sem érdekes.
This book isn't interesting either.
Word by Word: This the book neither interesting.
The particle follows the entire noun phrase 'ez a könyv' to negate it additively.
- Te se menj el!
Don't you go either!
Word by Word: You neither go away!
In this imperative (command), the short form 'se' must be used instead of 'sem'.
- Kenyér sincs a boltban.
There is no bread in the shop either.
Word by Word: Bread there-is-not-either the shop-in.
This uses the contracted form 'sincs' (sem + nincs).
- Sem Péter, sem Anna nem jött el.
Neither Péter nor Anna came.
Word by Word: Neither Péter, neither Anna not came away.
When repeated, 'sem... sem...' functions like 'neither... nor...' in English.
Common Mistakes
Placing 'sem' before the word when you mean 'also not'.
Sem én tudom.Én sem tudom.When 'sem' means 'neither/not either' in an additive sense (adding to a previous negative statement), it must follow the word it refers to. It only comes before the word in 'neither... nor' pairs.
Using 'is nem' instead of 'sem'.
Péter is nem jön.Péter sem jön.In Hungarian, you cannot translate 'also not' literally as 'is nem'. These two concepts must merge into the single particle 'sem'.
Forgetting the negative particle with negative pronouns.
Senki jött.Senki sem jött.Words like 'senki' (nobody) require a negative particle like 'sem' or nem to follow them to satisfy negative concord.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'sem' (neither/not either), you first need to understand how basic negation works with 'nem'. Since 'sem' is the negative version of 'is' (also/too), knowing how to place 'is' after the word it modifies is crucial. Finally, because 'sem' often acts as a focus element, familiarity with the Hungarian focus position will help you structure the sentence correctly.
Related Patterns
- nemNegation with Nem
'Nem' is the basic negation, while 'sem' is the additive negation.
Level 1 - nincs / nincsenekThere Is Not
'Sem' merges with these existential negative verbs to form 'sincs' and 'sincsenek'.
Level 1 - neNegative Commands
In commands, 'se' is used instead of 'sem' because it aligns with the imperative negative particle 'ne'.
Level 2 - Negative Concord
Explains the requirement of using 'sem' or 'nem' alongside negative pronouns like 'senki'.
Level 3 - sem... sem...Neither … nor
The correlative use of 'sem' to mean 'neither... nor...'.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice sem in Bubblegum
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