eigi

Formal Not (Eigi)

Level 6

Hann kom eigi. (He did not come.) Skýrslunni skal skilað eigi síðar en 15. mars. (The report must be submitted no later than 15 March.)

How It Works

Same meaning, higher style. eigi is an older word for not. You find it in laws, rules, official letters, the Bible and the sagas:

  • Hann kom eigi. (He did not come.)
  • Eigi má reykja í byggingunni. (Smoking is not allowed in the building.)

Same place as ekki. In a main clause, eigi comes right after the verb, just like ekki: Hann kom eigi, never Hann eigi kom. It follows the same rules in subordinate clauses: ef hann kemur eigi (if he does not come).

Fixed phrases you will meet every day. Some phrases keep eigi even in ordinary modern writing:

  • eigi síðar en (no later than): on forms, deadlines and notices.
  • eigi að síður (nevertheless): also said as engu að síður.
  • eigi … né (not … nor): Ráðuneyti má eigi á stofn setja né af leggja nema með lögum. (A ministry may not be set up or abolished except by law.)

When to use it. Use eigi when you write in a formal style, such as rules and regulations. In conversation, ekki is the natural choice. eigi in a chat with a friend sounds bookish, much like old-fashioned words such as vér.

Do not mix it up. eigi is also a form of the verb eiga: Ég vona að hann eigi bíl (I hope he has a car). If a verb is missing from the clause, eigi is the verb. If the clause already has its verb, eigi means not.

Examples (5)

  1. Hann kom eigi.

    He did not come.

    Word by Word: He came not.

  2. Skýrslunni skal skilað eigi síðar en 15. mars.

    The report must be submitted no later than 15 March.

    Word by Word: The-report shall submitted not later than 15th March.

    eigi síðar en is the standard deadline phrase on official forms.

  3. Eigi má reykja í byggingunni.

    Smoking is not allowed in the building.

    Word by Word: Not may smoke in the-building.

    eigi comes first here, so the verb má still comes second.

  4. Eigi að síður ákvað hún að halda áfram.

    Nevertheless, she decided to carry on.

    Word by Word: Not the less decided she to hold forward.

  5. Nefndin tók eigi afstöðu til málsins.

    The committee did not take a position on the matter.

    Word by Word: The-committee took not position to the-matter.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting eigi before the verb in a main clause.

    Hann eigi kom.
    Hann kom eigi.

    eigi follows the same word order as ekki: it comes after the finite verb.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

eigiLevel 6Formal Not (Eigi)

Learn This First

eigi builds on ekki and registers.

Words in This Pattern

eigisíðarensíður