-इनँ / -एन / -एनन्

Saying No in the Past

Level 2Sounds Like inam̐, -ēna ra -ēnan

To say did not, add one of these endings to the stem.

How It Works

The past negative is not a separate word. Change the ending of the verb.

Doerखानुजानु
मखाइनँगइनँ
हामीखाएनौँगएनौँ
तिमीखाएनौगएनौ
ऊ (man or boy)खाएनगएन
उनी (man), उनीहरूखाएनन्गएनन्
तपाईं, उहाँखानुभएनजानुभएन

A transitive verb still takes ले on its doer: उसले भात खाएन. Notice the chandrabindu on the ending for म: खाइनँ, गइनँ. The हामी ending -नौँ has one too, on the vowel. The other endings end in -न, -नौ or -नन्.

Use the same pattern for every regular verb. Start from the stem, add the ending that matches the doer, and keep ले on the doer when the verb takes an object. Questions use the same form with a question word: तिमीले किन खाएनौ? (why did you not eat?)

The same endings work for stems that end in a consonant: मैले लेखिनँ, उनीहरूले लेखेनन्.

A woman at the उनी level takes -इनन्: सरिता आइनन् (Sarita did not come). Note the difference from the positive सरिता आइन्.

Examples (5)

  1. ऊ आएन।

    He did not come.

    -एन is for ऊ when ऊ is a man or boy.

  2. मैले भात खाइनँ।

    I did not eat rice.

    -इनँ is the ending for म.

  3. तिमी हिजो आएनौ।

    You did not come yesterday.

    -एनौ goes with तिमी.

  4. उनीहरूले फोन गरेनन्।

    They did not call.

    -एनन् goes with उनीहरू.

  5. हामी बजार गएनौँ।

    We did not go to the market.

    हामी takes -एनौँ.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the chandrabindu to the wrong ending.

    मैले भात खाएनँ।
    मैले भात खाइनँ।

    With म the ending is -इनँ, not -एनँ.

How It Connects

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

-इनँ / -एन / -एनन्Level 2Saying No in the Past

Learn This First

The negative past follows the positive past.