ne- + Verb

Negating a Verb with Ne-

Level 1

Put ne- in front of the verb and write it as one word: zinu → nezinu, gribu → negribu. For ir, say nav.

How It Works

Joined to the verb. When ne negates a verb, it is a prefix and is written together with the verb: nerunāju (I do not speak), nesaprotu (I do not understand), negribam (we do not want). It goes in front of any other prefix (neatnāku, I am not coming over) and in front of reflexive verbs (nemācos, I am not studying).

Būt. The negative forms are neesmu, neesi, nav, neesam, neesat, nav. The third person is always nav: Viņš nav mājās. See the negative present of būt. When nav means that something does not exist or that you do not have it, the missing thing goes into the genitive; see there is no and I have no.

Double e. When the verb begins with e or ē, both letters are written: neesmu, neeju, neēdu.

Negative words need ne- too. Latvian uses a double negative. With nekas, neviens, nekad and nekur, the verb also takes ne-: Es neko nezinu (I know nothing). See nobody, nothing and never.

Separate ne. To negate something other than the verb, ne is a separate word: ne es (not me), ne šodien (not today). In the pair ne …, ne … (neither … nor), ne stays a separate word even before a verb: Viņš ne ēd, ne dzer. (He neither eats nor drinks.) The answer word "no" is long nē. See yes and no.

Handy chunks. Nezinu. (I don't know.) Nesaprotu. (I don't understand.) Man nepatīk. (I don't like it.)

Examples (6)

  1. Es nerunāju krieviski.

    I don't speak Russian.

  2. Nezinu.

    I don't know.

    A complete answer: es is left out because the ending -u already says "I".

  3. Viņš nav mājās.

    He isn't at home.

    The negative of ir is nav.

  4. Atvainojiet, es nesaprotu.

    Sorry, I don't understand.

  5. Man nepatīk kafija.

    I don't like coffee.

    Ne- joins patīk too: nepatīk.

  6. Šodien es neeju uz darbu.

    I'm not going to work today.

    Ne- + eju is written with two e letters: neeju.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ne as a separate word before the verb.

    Es ne runāju krieviski.
    Es nerunāju krieviski.

    Ne- is part of the verb and is written together with it.

  • Adding ne- to ir.

    Viņš neir mājās.
    Viņš nav mājās.

    Ir has its own negative form: nav.

  • Leaving the verb positive after a negative word.

    Es nekad smēķēju.
    Es nekad nesmēķēju.

    Latvian uses a double negative: with nekad, the verb also takes ne-.

How It Connects

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

ne- + VerbLevel 1Negating a Verb with Ne-

Learn This First

Negation attaches to a verb you can already conjugate.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ne-