niekas / niekada + ne-

The negative words.

• niekas – nobody, nothing
• niekur – nowhere
• niekada (also niekad) – never
• niekaip – in no way
• joks, jokia – no, not any (before a noun)

With ne- in a full negative clause. The verb keeps its ne-, even with a negative word: Niekas neskambino. (Nobody called.) Niekur neinu. (I am not going anywhere.) Several negative words can join one verb: Niekas niekada nieko nesakė. (Nobody ever said anything.) These negative-concord words reinforce one negative meaning.

Nieko and jokio: the genitive. A negated verb puts its object in the genitive, see genitive after negation. So "nothing" as an object is nieko, and joks becomes jokio, jokios, jokių: Nieko nematau. (I see nothing.) Neturiu jokių klausimų. (I have no questions.) Other cases of niekas are niekam (to nobody) and niekuo (with nothing): Niekam nesakyk. (Don't tell anybody.)

Short answers. Without a verb, the negative word stands alone: Kas ten? – Niekas. (Who is there? – Nobody.) Kada? – Niekada. (When? – Never.)

Anyone or no one? For an open question asking whether someone exists or acted, use kas nors instead: Ar kas nors skambino? (Did anyone call?) To say "not a single one", add nė: Nė vienas neatėjo.