не + Participle
Negation with Participles
Write не separately if there are dependent words, a contrast with 'а', or if the participle is in the short form. Write it together if the participle is a standalone modifier or cannot exist without 'не'.
How It Works
In Russian, participles follow specific rules for negation that differ from verbs and adjectives. Understanding these rules is essential for formal writing.
1. Write SEPARATE (Раздельно) when:
- Dependent Words: If the participle has dependent words (except adverbs of degree/measure), не is generally written separately. This applies regardless of whether the participle is in a postposed participial clause or precedes the noun. Example: не прочитанная мною книга (the book not read by me). Note: There are exceptions to this rule for participles acting as adjectives, substantivized participles, and certain words ending in -мый (see section 2).
- Short Form: Short passive participles are always written separately from не. Example: Работа не закончена.
- Opposition: When there is an explicit contrast using the conjunction а. Example: не законченный, а только начатый проект. Note that contrast with но does not force separate writing (e.g., непродуманное, но смелое решение).
- Intensifiers: With negative pronouns or adverbs like отнюдь не, ничуть не, вовсе не, далеко не.
- Negation of Completed Action (не до-): When не negates a participle formed from a verb with the prefix до-, it follows the standard rule: it is written separately if there are dependent words (e.g., не досмотренный до конца фильм), but together if there are none (недосмотренный фильм).
2. Write TOGETHER (Слитно) when:
- No Dependent Words: The participle acts as a simple modifier. Example: непрочитанная книга (an unread book).
- Obligatory 'не': The verb itself doesn't exist without не (e.g., негодовать -> негодующий).
- Adverbs of Degree: Words like очень, совершенно, крайне do not force separation. Example: совершенно непродуманное решение. Note: If a second dependent word is added, it becomes separate: совершенно не продуманное автором решение.
- Insufficiency (недо-): When the prefix недо- indicates the action was performed below a required standard or norm (semantic insufficiency), it is written together even when dependent words are present. Example: недосоленный поваром суп (soup insufficiently salted by the cook).
- Words in -мый: Some participles in -емый and -имый function as adjectives (e.g., невидимый, неисчерпаемый). These are written together even with dependent words, unless the dependent word is a noun or pronoun in the instrumental case expressing the agent, or if there is a negative pronoun or adverb. Example: невидимые глазу микробы (together), but не видимые глазом микробы (separate because of the instrumental agent) and никем не видимый (separate because of the negative pronoun).
- Participles Acting as Adjectives: When a participle loses its verbal meaning and functions purely as an adjective, it is written together with не even if it has dependent words. Example: по независящим от меня причинам (for reasons beyond my control).
- Substantivized Participles: When a participle functions as a noun, it is written together with не even with dependent words. Example: число неуспевающих по русскому языку (the number of those failing in Russian).
Examples (5)
- На столе лежало несколько непрочитанных писем.
There were several unread letters lying on the table.
Word by Word: On table lay several unread letters.
Written together because there are no dependent words; it describes the quality of the letters.
- Это ещё не прочитанное мною письмо.
This is a letter not yet read by me.
Word by Word: This yet not read by-me letter.
Written separately because of the dependent words 'ещё' (yet) and 'мною' (by me).
- Статья не отредактирована.
The article has not been edited.
Word by Word: Article not edited.
Written separately because 'отредактирована' is a short-form participle.
- Это был не законченный, а только начатый проект.
It was not a finished project, but only a started one.
Word by Word: It was not finished, but only started project.
Written separately because of the explicit contrast using the conjunction 'а'.
- Он смотрел на неё негодующим взглядом.
He looked at her with an indignant gaze.
Word by Word: He looked at her with-indignant gaze.
Written together because the verb 'годовать' does not exist; the 'не' is part of the root.
Common Mistakes
Writing 'не' together with short-form participles.
Книга незакончена.Книга не закончена.Short participles are always written separately from 'не', unlike short adjectives which can sometimes be written together.
Writing 'не' together when dependent words are present.
Непрочитанная мною книга.Не прочитанная мною книга.The presence of 'мною' (by me) makes the participle part of a phrase, requiring separate spelling.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn negation with participles, a learner must first understand how participles are formed from verbs and how they function as adjectives. Additionally, a foundation in basic verb negation and the distinction between short and long forms is required to determine whether 'не' is written as a single word or separately.
- не + VerbVerb Negation with Не
Understanding the basic rules of negation with verbs is essential, as participles are verbal forms and follow similar logic regarding lexical vs. syntactic negation.
Level 1 - -вшийPast Active Participles in -вший
The learner must be familiar with the formation and function of participles before learning the specific orthographic and syntactic rules for negating them.
Level 4 - Short passive participles
Negation rules differ between long and short forms of participles; knowledge of short passive participles is necessary to apply the rule that they are always written separately from 'не'.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- Postposed participial modifier
The presence of a participial phrase (dependent words) is the primary trigger for separate writing of 'не'.
Level 5 - недо-Insufficient-action Недо-
The prefix 'недо-' (meaning insufficiency) is always written together, which contrasts with 'не' + a participle starting with 'до-'.
Level 5 - -нный/-енныйPast Passive Participles in -нный/-енный
These are the most common participles that learners must decide whether to write together or separate with 'не'.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice не + Participle in Bubblegum
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