немој да / немојте да
Negative Commands
To say don't, use немој да with one friend and немојте да with several people or politely: Немој да доцниш! (Don't be late!) · Немојте да пушите. (Please don't smoke.)
How It Works
Macedonian has two ways to tell someone not to do something.
1. Немој / немојте + да + present verb. This works with every verb and is the safest choice.
- немој — to one person you call ти: Немој да доцниш.
- немојте — to several people, or to one person you call Вие: Немојте да доцните.
The verb after да is an ordinary present-tense form with the you ending: -ш for one person, -те for more people. This is the same да you use after сака (see сака да + сегашно време). Немој alone also works as a full answer: Немој! (Don't!)
2. Не + command. Put не in front of the command form (see заповеден начин: читај; носи; пиј): Не плачи. (Don't cry.) · Не грижи се. (Don't worry.) · Не пушете. (Don't smoke.) This is most natural with imperfective verbs. With a perfective verb it usually sounds like a warning or a threat, so use немој да instead: Немој да заборавиш! (Don't forget!) The choice of aspect is explained further in вид во заповеди.
Short pronouns: with немој да, a short pronoun sits between да and the verb: Немој да ми кажуваш. With не + command, standard Macedonian puts it after the command: Не чекајте ме. In everyday speech you will also hear Не ме чекајте, but language guides treat the first order as correct. See заповеден начин + кратка заменка.
Examples (6)
- Немој да доцниш!
Don't be late!
Word by Word: Don't that you-are-late!
- Немојте да пушите овде, ве молам.
Please don't smoke here.
Word by Word: Don't-you-all that you-smoke here, you I-ask.
- Не плачи, сѐ ќе биде добро.
Don't cry, everything will be fine.
Word by Word: Not cry, everything will be well.
- Немој да заборавиш!
Don't forget!
Word by Word: Don't that you-forget!
Заборави is perfective, so немој да is the natural choice here.
- Не грижи се.
Don't worry.
Word by Word: Not worry yourself.
- Немој да ми го кажуваш крајот!
Don't tell me the ending!
Word by Word: Don't that to-me it you-tell the-end!
The short pronouns ми го sit between да and the verb.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out да after немој.
Немој доцниш!Немој да доцниш!Немој and немојте are always followed by да and the verb.
Using the dictionary form of the verb instead of the you-form.
Немој да доцни!Немој да доцниш!The verb after да needs the ending for the person you are talking to: доцниш for ти, доцните for Вие.
Putting the short pronoun after the verb inside the да-phrase.
Немој да кажуваш ми.Немој да ми кажуваш.After да, short pronouns come before the verb, just as they do after ќе: Ќе ти кажам.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Negative commands combine commands and да + present.
Related Patterns
- не + VerbNegating a Verb
Не goes directly before the verb, the same way it goes before a command.
Level 1 - Aspect in Commands
Imperfective verbs are usual in prohibitions; a perfective one works best with немој да.
Level 5 - Short Pronouns After a Command
Explains where short pronouns go with commands, including negated ones.
Level 2 - ти / ВиеInformal and Polite You
Немој is for ти and немојте is for several people or polite Вие.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice немој да / немојте да in Bubblegum
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