не + Verb
Negating a Verb
To make a sentence negative, put не right in front of the verb: Знам (I know) → Не знам (I don't know).
How It Works
The basic rule. Put не right before the verb. The verb keeps its usual ending, and nothing else moves.
- Зборувам англиски. → Не зборувам англиски. (I don't speak English.)
- Таа работи денес. → Таа не работи денес. (She isn't working today.)
- Јас сум уморен. → Јас не сум уморен. (I'm not tired.)
English adds do or does: I do not speak. Macedonian needs only не. See Present Forms of Be for не сум, не си, не е.
Short pronouns stay with the verb. Short pronouns such as те (you), го (him, it) and ми (to me) sit right before the verb, and не goes in front of them: Не те разбирам (I don't understand you), Не го знам (I don't know him). Never put не between the pronoun and the verb. See The Order Before the Verb.
Two forms work differently.
- Има (has) becomes the single word нема: Немам време (I don't have time). See Saying What You Have.
- The future with ќе is usually made negative with нема да: Нема да дојдам (I won't come). See The Negative Future.
Nobody and nothing. Words such as никој (nobody) and ништо (nothing) still need не before the verb: Ништо не знам. See Double Negation.
Examples (6)
- Не знам.
I don't know.
- Не пијам кафе.
I don't drink coffee.
- Не сум уморен.
I'm not tired.
A woman says Не сум уморна.
- Тој не работи денес.
He isn't working today.
- Не те разбирам.
I don't understand you.
Не comes before the short pronoun те, not between те and the verb.
- Зошто не јадеш?
Why aren't you eating?
Common Mistakes
Putting не between a short pronoun and the verb.
Го не знам.Не го знам.The short pronoun and the verb form one block, and не goes in front of the whole block.
Saying не има instead of нема.
Не имам време.Немам време.Има has its own negative verb, нема, with the same endings: немам, немаш, нема.
Adding сум as a helper, the way English uses am or do.
Јас не сум зборувам македонски.Јас не зборувам македонски.Сум is not a helper in the present tense. Не goes straight before the verb that carries the meaning.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Negation needs a conjugated verb.
Related Patterns
- сумPresent Forms of Be
Не makes сум negative too: не сум, не е.
Level 1 - има / немаSaying What You Have
Has its own negative word, нема, instead of не има.
Level 1 - нема даThe Negative Future
The usual way to make the future with ќе negative.
Level 2 - никој / ништо / никогаш + неDouble Negation
Negative words still need не before the verb.
Level 2 - The Order Before the Verb
Shows where не goes when short pronouns come before the verb.
Level 3 - не + Past VerbThe Negative Past
The same rule with past forms: Не дојдов.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice не + Verb in Bubblegum
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