enginn / ekkert
No, Nobody and Nothing
enginn (m), engin (f), ekkert (n) mean no, nobody, nothing: Enginn kom. Ég sé ekkert.
How It Works
The main forms.
- Nominative: enginn (m), engin (f), ekkert (n)
- Accusative: engan (m), enga (f), ekkert (n)
- Dative: engum (m), engri (f), engu (n)
- Plural nominative: engir (m), engar (f), engin (n); accusative enga, engar, engin; dative engum
The genitive (einskis, engrar, engra) is rare in everyday speech.
With a noun. The form follows the noun's gender, number and case (the four cases):
- Ég hef engan tíma. (I have no time. tími is masculine, accusative.)
- Það er engin mjólk. (There is no milk. mjólk is feminine.)
- Ég á enga peninga. (I have no money. peningar is masculine plural.)
On its own. enginn is "nobody" and ekkert is "nothing": Enginn kom (Nobody came). Ég sé ekkert (I see nothing). After a preposition, use its case: Hún talaði við engan (She spoke to nobody).
No double negative. enginn replaces ekki. Say Ég sé ekkert, not Ég sé ekki ekkert. If you want to keep ekki, pair it with neitt or neinn instead: Ég sé ekki neitt (nokkur/neinn).
Word order in the perfect. With a helper verb, a negative object moves in front of the supine: Ég hef ekkert séð (I haven't seen anything). Compare Ég hef ekki séð neitt.
Examples (6)
- Enginn kom í partíið.
Nobody came to the party.
Word by Word: Nobody came into the-party.
- Ég á enga peninga.
I have no money.
Word by Word: I own no moneys.
peningar is masculine plural, and the object is accusative, so enga.
- Það er engin mjólk í ísskápnum.
There is no milk in the fridge.
Word by Word: It is no milk in the-fridge.
- Ég sé ekkert.
I can't see anything.
Word by Word: I see nothing.
- Hún talaði við engan.
She didn't talk to anyone.
Word by Word: She talked with nobody.
við takes the accusative here, so engan.
- Ég hef ekkert borðað í dag.
I haven't eaten anything today.
Word by Word: I have nothing eaten today.
ekkert comes before the supine borðað.
Common Mistakes
Adding ekki to enginn or ekkert.
Ég sé ekki ekkert.Ég sé ekkert.ekkert already means "nothing". Standard Icelandic does not use two negatives. If you want ekki, say Ég sé ekki neitt.
Leaving enginn in the nominative masculine.
Ég hef enginn tíma.Ég hef engan tíma.tími is the object of hef, so it is accusative, and enginn must match it: engan.
Putting ekkert after the supine.
Ég hef borðað ekkert.Ég hef ekkert borðað.A negative object moves in front of the supine in the perfect.
How It Connects
Learn This First
enginn builds on ekki and adjectives.
Related Patterns
- nokkur / neinnAny in Questions and Negatives
ekki neitt and ekki neinn are the other way to say nothing and nobody.
Level 4 - The Accusative (þolfall)
Objects take the accusative forms engan, enga, ekkert.
Level 2 - er tilIs There Any? (Er Til)
Það er engin mjólk is another way to say there is none.
Level 2 - einhver / eitthvaðSomeone and Something
The positive partners: someone and something.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice enginn / ekkert in Bubblegum
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