ne- + adjective or adverb

Negating Adjectives and Adverbs

Level 2

To say not or un- with a describing word, attach ne-: įdomus → neįdomus (uninteresting), gerai → negerai (not good). In a contrast, ne stands apart: ne šiandien, o rytoj (not today, but tomorrow).

How It Works

Written as one word

  • Adjectives: įdomus → neįdomus, gražus → negražus, didelis → nedidelis, sunkus → nesunkus
  • Adverbs made from adjectives: gerai → negerai, gražiai → negražiai, greitai → negreitai

A negated adjective still agrees with its noun: Tai nedidelis miestas. (It is a small town.) Knyga neįdomi. (The book is not interesting.)

Written as two words

  • When one description is explicitly denied and replaced with another: Kava ne karšta, o šilta. (The coffee is not hot, it is warm.)
  • With adverbs that are not made from adjectives, like time and place words: ne šiandien, ne čia, ne visada, ne namie
  • With pronouns and numbers: ne aš, ne toks, ne vienas

Some common negative adverbs are written together in their ordinary meaning: netoli (not far), nedaug (not much). There are also special meanings such as nekoks (poor) and nekaip (badly); these differ from a simple denial.

Negating the verb instead
You can also put ne on the verb: Filmas nebuvo įdomus. (The film was not interesting.) Filmas buvo neįdomus. (The film was uninteresting.) Both are correct. See Negation With Ne- and Not This but That.

Examples (6)

  1. Šis filmas neįdomus.

    This film is uninteresting.

    Word by Word: This film uninteresting.

  2. Tai nedidelis, bet jaukus butas.

    It is a small but cozy flat.

    Word by Word: It not-big, but cozy flat.

    Nedidelis still agrees with the masculine noun butas.

  3. Šiandien jaučiuosi negerai.

    Today I don't feel well.

    Word by Word: Today I-feel not-well.

  4. Tu negražiai elgiesi.

    You are behaving badly.

    Word by Word: You not-nicely behave.

  5. Kava ne karšta, o šilta.

    The coffee is not hot, it is warm.

    Word by Word: Coffee not hot, but warm.

    In a contrast with o, ne is a separate word.

  6. Susitikime ne šiandien, o rytoj.

    Let's meet tomorrow, not today.

    Word by Word: Let's-meet not today, but tomorrow.

    Šiandien is not made from an adjective, so ne always stays separate from it.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ne separately from an adjective when there is no contrast.

    Knyga buvo ne įdomi.
    Knyga buvo neįdomi.

    With no contrast, ne- joins the adjective as one word: neįdomi.

  • Joining ne to the adverb in a contrast.

    Rašyk negreitai, o atidžiai.
    Rašyk ne greitai, o atidžiai.

    When ne sets two things against each other with o or bet, it is a separate word.

  • Joining ne to an adverb that is not made from an adjective.

    Jis nevisada vėluoja.
    Jis ne visada vėluoja.

    Visada is not made from an adjective, so ne is always written separately from it.

How It Connects

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

ne- + adjective or adverbLevel 2Negating Adjectives and Adverbs

Learn This First

Ne- can negate a description, while explicit correction keeps ne separate.

Words in This Pattern