Negating a Sentence or a Word
Negate the whole sentence with ne- on the verb: Neprišiel včera (He didn't come yesterday). Negate just one word with nie in front of it: Prišiel nie včera, ale dnes (He came not yesterday but today).
How It Works
Sentence negation (vetný zápor). The whole statement is denied. Put ne- on the verb, written together with it, as in negating verbs: Nerozumiem. (I don't understand.) The verb byť is the exception and uses a separate nie: Nie je to pravda. (see nie som). Words like nikto, nič, nikdy go with the negative verb: Nikto neprišiel.
Word negation (členský zápor). Only one part of the sentence is denied, and the rest is still true. Put a separate nie right before that part:
- Prišiel nie včera, ale dnes. — He did come, but today, not yesterday.
- Chcem čaj, nie kávu. — I want tea, not coffee.
- Nie všetci s tým súhlasia. — Not everyone agrees.
- Nie každý to vie. — Not everybody knows it.
Compare. Nie všetci prišli says clearly that some came and some did not. Všetci neprišli can be heard as "none of them came", and Nikto neprišiel means nobody came at all.
Contrast with ale. Word negation often pairs with ale: nie slová, ale činy (not words but deeds). For "not only ... but also", see nielen ... ale aj.
Not the same as a prefix. Many adjectives and adverbs take ne- as part of the word and form a new word: veľký → neveľký (not big), pekne → nepekne. That is word building, not the nie used for a contrast.
Examples (6)
- Neprišiel včera.
He didn't come yesterday.
Word by Word: Not-he-came yesterday.
The whole event is denied.
- Prišiel nie včera, ale dnes.
He came not yesterday but today.
Word by Word: He-came not yesterday, but today.
Only včera is denied; he did come.
- Nie všetci s tým súhlasia.
Not everyone agrees with that.
Word by Word: Not all with that agree.
- Chcem čaj, nie kávu.
I want tea, not coffee.
Word by Word: I-want tea, not coffee.
- Nie je to pravda.
That isn't true.
Word by Word: Not is it truth.
Byť is negated with a separate nie.
- Nikto nič nepovedal.
Nobody said anything.
Word by Word: Nobody nothing not-said.
Common Mistakes
Attaching nie to všetci or každý.
Nevšetci prišli na stretnutie.Nie všetci prišli na stretnutie.When nie negates one word, it is a separate word placed right before it: nie všetci, nie každý.
Using a separate nie with an ordinary verb.
Ja nie viem, kde je.Ja neviem, kde je.To negate a verb, add ne- to it and write them together: neviem. Only byť uses a separate nie: nie som, nie je.
Using ne on its own for "not".
Chcem čaj, ne kávu.Chcem čaj, nie kávu.Ne- is only a prefix. As a separate word, "not" is nie.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Negating a Sentence or a Word, learn Nobody, Nothing and Never. Sentence negation versus word negation builds on basic negation.
Related Patterns
- ne-Negating Verbs with Ne-
Sentence negation uses the verb prefix ne-.
Level 1 - nie som / nie jeNegative Forms of Byť
Byť forms its negative with a separate nie.
Level 1 - nielen ... ale ajNot Only ... but Also
Another nie ... ale pattern that adds rather than replaces.
Level 4 - Understatement With a Double Negative
Negating a negative word can express a cautious positive: To nie je nezaujímavé.
Level 6 - aj / tiež / aniAlso, Too and Not Even
Ani strengthens a negation: nemám ani korunu.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Negating a Sentence or a Word in Bubblegum
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