немає + Genitive
Genitive After Немає
немає (or нема) + Genitive Case = "There is no..." or "I don't have..."
How It Works
The construction немає + родовий is the standard way to express negation of existence or possession in the present tense.
1. Impersonal Nature
This is an impersonal construction. This means there is no grammatical subject performing an action; instead, the sentence describes the state of 'non-being.' The thing that is absent is the object of the sentence and must be in the Genitive case.
2. Possession
To say 'I don't have,' you use the pattern у мене немає. Even though you are the one who 'doesn't have' it, the item itself still goes into the Genitive.
3. Short Form: нема
In spoken Ukrainian and informal writing, немає is very frequently shortened to нема. Both are grammatically correct and interchangeable in most contexts, though немає is preferred in formal documents.
4. Case Changes
When moving from 'there is' to 'there is no,' the noun changes its ending:
- Час (Nom.) → Немає часу (Gen.)
- Вода (Nom.) → Немає води (Gen.)
- Гроші (Nom. Plural) → Немає грошей (Gen. Plural)
5. Double Negation
When using negative pronouns like 'nothing' or 'no one,' Ukrainian uses double negation: Тут немає нікого (There is no one here).
Examples (5)
- Сьогодні немає дощу.
There is no rain today.
Word by Word: Today there-is-not rain.
The noun 'дощ' (rain) changes to the genitive form 'дощу' because of 'немає'.
- У мене немає часу.
I don't have time.
Word by Word: At me there-is-not time.
This is the standard way to express lack of possession. 'Час' becomes 'часу'.
- Тут нема зв'язку.
There is no connection here.
Word by Word: Here there-is-not connection.
Uses the short form 'нема' with the genitive 'зв'язку'.
- У холодильнику немає молока.
There is no milk in the fridge.
Word by Word: In fridge there-is-not milk.
The neuter noun 'молоко' changes to 'молока' in the genitive.
- Його сьогодні немає вдома.
He is not at home today.
Word by Word: Him today there-is-not at-home.
When a person is absent, the personal pronoun also moves to the genitive ('він' becomes 'його').
Common Mistakes
Using the Nominative case after немає.
У мене немає гроші.У мене немає грошей.Learners often use the dictionary form (Nominative), but 'немає' strictly requires the Genitive case.
Using 'не є' to express absence.
Він не є тут.Його тут немає.'Не є' is used for identity (He is not a doctor). For physical absence or non-existence, you must use 'немає'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'немає + родовий', a learner needs to be familiar with the concept of negation and the forms of the genitive case. The pattern 'у мене немає' provides the most direct structural foundation, while 'родовий належності' ensures the learner can correctly decline nouns in the required case.
- у мене немаєNegative Possession
This pattern introduces the basic concept of negative possession using 'немає' and the genitive case for personal pronouns.
Level 1 - Genitive Possession
Since 'немає' requires the genitive case, the learner must be familiar with the basic forms and functions of the genitive case for nouns.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- у мене єPossession with У Мене Є
The positive counterpart to 'немає', which uses the Nominative case instead of the Genitive.
Level 1 - Genitive of Negation
The broader grammatical rule where negation in Ukrainian often triggers the Genitive case.
Level 6 - не було / не буде + GenitiveGenitive After Не Було and Не Буде
The past and future tense versions of this construction, which also require the Genitive case.
Level 3 - ніхто / ніщоNegative Pronouns with Clause Negation
Explains how to use negative pronouns like 'nothing' or 'no one' alongside 'немає'.
Level 3 - і/о та і/еClosed-Syllable Vowel Alternations
Explains the vowel shifts that often occur when nouns change from Nominative to Genitive (e.g., стіл -> стола).
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice немає + Genitive in Bubblegum
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