nekem nincs
Not Having Something
Hungarian doesn't have a verb for 'to have.' Instead, it says 'For me, there is no my-thing.' This is the negative version of the nekem van construction.
How It Works
To express that someone does not have something, Hungarian uses a specific sentence structure:
1. The Possessor: The person who 'doesn't have' the item takes the dative suffix -nak/-nek. For pronouns, we use nekem (me), neked (you), neki (him/her/it), etc.
2. The Verb: Use nincs if the item you don't have is singular, and nincsenek if the items are plural.
3. The Possessed Noun: The noun must have a possessive suffix that matches the possessor.
Present Tense Only:
It is important to note that nincs and nincsenek are only used in the present tense. To say you 'didn't have' or 'won't have' something, you use nem + the appropriate tense of van (e.g., nem volt or nem lesz).
The Definite Article:
In this construction, we usually omit the definite article (a/az). Saying Nincs autóm means 'I don't have a car.' If you add the article (Nincs az autóm), the meaning changes to 'My car is not here' (locating a specific item).
Word Order and Emphasis:
In neutral speech, the dative pronoun (like nekem) is often dropped. You only include it to emphasize who is lacking the item.
Examples (5)
- Nincs autóm.
I don't have a car.
Word by Word: There-is-no my-car.
The dative 'nekem' is omitted here. 'Autó' takes the first-person singular suffix '-m'.
- Nekem nincs pénzem.
I don't have money.
Word by Word: For-me there-is-no my-money.
Including 'nekem' adds a slight emphasis on the speaker.
- Nincsenek barátaim.
I don't have friends.
Word by Word: There-are-no my-friends.
Because 'friends' is plural, we must use 'nincsenek' and the plural possessive suffix '-aim'.
- Péternek nincs kutyája.
Peter doesn't have a dog.
Word by Word: For-Peter there-is-no his-dog.
Péter takes the dative '-nek', and 'kutya' takes the third-person suffix '-ja'.
- Nincs időnk.
We don't have time.
Word by Word: There-is-no our-time.
The noun 'idő' (time) takes the first-person plural suffix '-nk'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'nincs' for past or future possession.
Nekem nincs kutyám volt.Nekem nem volt kutyám.The word 'nincs' is strictly for the present tense. To express not having something in the past or future, you must use 'nem volt' or 'nem lesz'.
Adding the article when you mean 'I have no money'.
Different MeaningNincs a pénzem.Nincs pénzem.Including the article changes the meaning. 'Nincs pénzem' means 'I don't have (any) money,' while 'Nincs a pénzem' means 'My money is not here/missing'.
Using 'nincs' for plural objects.
Nincs testvéreim.Nincsenek testvéreim.If the possessed items are plural, the verb must agree and become 'nincsenek'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To express that someone does not have something in Hungarian, you combine the dative case (to mark the possessor) with the negative existential verbs 'nincs' or 'nincsenek'. This pattern is the negative version of the 'nekem van' construction.
- nekem vanHaving Something
The 'nekem nincs' construction is the direct negative counterpart of the 'nekem van' possessive structure, using the same dative possessor logic.
Level 1 - nincs / nincsenekThere Is Not
Understanding the negative existential verbs 'nincs' and 'nincsenek' is essential as they replace 'van' and 'vannak' in this construction.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- nincsNegative Existence
The core verb used in this construction to indicate non-existence.
Level 1 - -nak/-nekTo / for
The case suffix required for the possessor in this construction.
Level 1 - -m/-d/-a/-eSingular Possessors
The suffixes required on the noun to link it to the possessor.
Level 1 - Plural Possessors
Used when the possessor is plural (e.g., 'we don't have').
Level 1 - -i (birtoktöbbesítő jel)Plural Possessed Items
Used when the items being possessed are plural (e.g., 'I don't have cars').
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice nekem nincs in Bubblegum
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