не + Past Verb

The Negative Past

Level 2Sounds Like ne vo minato

To make a past sentence negative, put не first in the verb group: Не дојдов (I did not come), Не го видов (I did not see him).

How It Works

Aorist. Не дојдов на часот. Не купивме ништо.

Imperfect. Не знаев. Порано не пиев кафе.

Be and have. Не бев дома. Има and не join into one word: немав, not не имав. See имав and немав.

With short pronouns. Short pronouns stay right before the verb, and не goes before them: Не го видов, Не ѝ реков, Не ми го кажа. See the order before the verb.

Negative words. Никој, ништо and никогаш still need не: Никој не дојде, Ништо не купив. See double negation.

No helper verb. English adds "did not". Macedonian only adds не: Не дојде means "He did not come" or "You did not come".

Examples (6)

  1. Не дојдов на часот.

    I did not come to class.

  2. Не го видов Марко.

    I did not see Marko.

    Не comes before the short pronoun го.

  3. Не бев таму.

    I was not there.

  4. Не знаев дека си тука.

    I did not know that you were here.

    Не also negates the imperfect.

  5. Никој не ми рече ништо.

    Nobody told me anything.

    Никој still needs не before the verb.

  6. Порано не пиев кафе.

    I did not use to drink coffee.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting не after a short pronoun.

    Го не видов.
    Не го видов.

    Не opens the verb group. The short pronoun comes after не, right before the verb.

  • Leaving out не after a negative word.

    Никој дојде.
    Никој не дојде.

    Negative words such as никој still need не before the verb.

  • Negating има with a separate не.

    Не имав време.
    Немав време.

    Има is negated as one word: немав.

How It Connects

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

не + Past VerbLevel 2The Negative Past

Learn This First

The negative past combines the aorist and не.

Words in This Pattern