نہ ... نہ

Neither One Thing nor Another

Level 3

Put نہ before each contrasted alternative.

How It Works

The pair can join nouns, actions or whole clauses. Keep the two parts parallel so the reader can tell what is excluded.

An omitted verb does not turn the second item positive. In نہ خط آیا نہ پیغام, آیا is understood with پیغام as well.

This construction already supplies negation. An ordinary affirmative verb after each نہ gives the basic “neither ... nor” pattern; additional negatives can change the intended meaning.

Examples (4)

نہ خط آیا نہ پیغام۔
Neither a letter nor a message arrived.
The second noun shares the understood verb.
نہ مریم آئی نہ بلال آیا۔
Neither Maryam nor Bilal came.
Each clause has its own agreement.
وہ نہ اردو پڑھ سکتا ہے نہ لکھ سکتا ہے۔
He can neither read nor write Urdu.
The pair negates two abilities.
نہ یہاں روشنی ہے نہ وہاں۔
There is no light here or there.
The second place shares the rest of the clause.

How It Connects

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

نہ ... نہLevel 3Neither One Thing nor Another

Learn This First

Identify parallel units in coordination. Negate each alternative within the coordinated structure.

یا تو ... یاEither One Alternative or Another
Offer alternatives rather than excluding both.
Level 3

Words in This Pattern

نہ

Practice نہ ... نہ in Bubblegum

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