nonne / num (Expecting Yes, Expecting No)

Expecting Yes, Expecting No

Level 3

Nonne hopes for yes, and num hopes for no.

How It Works

Question word	Expected answer	Example
-ne	open	Venitne Marcus?
nonne	yes	Nonne Marcus venit?
num	no	Num Marcus venit?

English often shows the same hope with a tag: Marcus is coming, isn't he? asks for yes, like nonne. Marcus isn't coming, is he? asks for no, like num.

The verb is in the normal form. Nothing else changes, so the first word of the question is the one to watch.

Answers are short. For yes you can say ita or certe, and for no you can say non.

Examples (5)

Nonne Marcus venit?
Marcus is coming, isn't he?
Nonne expects the answer yes.
Num Iulia hic est?
Iulia isn't here, is she?
Num expects the answer no.
Nonne vides forum?
You can see the forum, can't you?
Nonne expects yes.
Num pueri in schola sunt?
The boys aren't in school, are they?
Num expects no.
Nonne Deus omnia videt?
Doesn't God see everything?
Nonne expects yes.

Common Mistakes

Using num when you expect yes.
Num Marcus venit?
Nonne Marcus venit?
Num expects the answer no, so this question means that Marcus isn't coming, is he? The intended meaning was: Marcus is coming, isn't he? That needs nonne.

How It Connects

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

nonne / num (Expecting Yes, Expecting No)Level 3Expecting Yes, Expecting No

Learn This First

Num and nonne are question words that expect a yes or a no, like -ne.

-ne (Yes-or-No Questions)Asking Yes-or-No Questions
Know -ne questions, because num and nonne ask questions that expect no or yes.
Level 2

Words in This Pattern

numnonne-ne

Practice nonne / num (Expecting Yes, Expecting No) in Bubblegum

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