Negation with examples
Slovenian ⋙
Slovenian A1
Welcome to our Slovenian grammar course for beginners! Today we`re going to talk about Negation in Slovenian.
Negation is a fundamental aspect of any language, including Slovenian. Let`s explore how negation works in Slovenian in detail.
Basic Negation with "Ne"
In Slovenian, the most common way to create a negative sentence is by using the word "ne," which is similar to "not" in English. You typically place "ne" in front of the verb. Here are some examples:
Ne maram. (I don`t like.)
Ne vidim. (I don`t see.)
Ne razumem. (I don`t understand.)
Double Negative
Unlike some languages, Slovenian often uses double negatives for emphasis. This means you use "
ne" in front of the verb and another negative word (usually "
nič (nothing)," "
nikoli (never)," "
niti (not)," etc.) elsewhere in the sentence. For instance:
Ne vidim ničesar. (I don`t see anything.)
On nikoli ne prihaja. (He never comes.)
Niti ena knjiga ni zanimiva. (Not a single book is interesting.)
Negating Nouns and Pronouns
To negate nouns and pronouns, you can use the word "
ni" before them. For example:
Nič ni resnica. (Nothing is true.)
Nič ni pomembno. (Nothing is important.)
Nihče ni tukaj. (Nobody is here.)
Questions and Negation
In questions, "
ne" is typically placed before the verb, just like in declarative sentences. For instance:
Ne razumeš? (Don`t you understand?)
Ne govoriš angleško? (Don`t you speak English?)
Negation with Adjectives
When negating adjectives, you typically use "
ni (is not)" or "
niso (are not)" before the adjective. For example:
Ta film ni dolgočasen. (This movie is not boring.)
Tvoja sestra ni prijazna. (Your sister is not friendly.)
Negative Adverbs
Slovenian also has negative adverbs like "
ne" (not), "
nikoli" (never), "
nič" (nothing), and "
niti" (neither/not), which are used to negate various elements in a sentence. For instance:
Nikoli ne bom pozabil. (I will never forget.)
Niti ena oseba ni prišla. (Not a single person came.)
Negation of "Biti" in the Present Tense
Negation with the
verb "biti" (to be) in Slovenian is an important aspect of grammar. Let`s explore how to use negation with "biti".
In the present tense, to form a negative sentence with "biti," you typically place "ne" in front of the verb. Here are some examples:
Jaz nisem. (I am not.)
Ti nisi. (You are not.)
On/Ona/Ono ni. (He/She/It is not.)
Midva nisva. (We two are not.)
Vidva nista. (We two are not.)
Onadva nista. (We two are not.)
Mi nismo. (We are not.)
Vi niste. (You are not.)
Oni/One/Ona niso. (They are not.)
Negation of "Biti" in Other Tenses
Negating "
biti" in other tenses (past, future, etc.) is similar to the present tense. You use "
ne" in front of the appropriate form of "biti" for that tense. For example:
Jaz nisem bil/bila. (I was not.)
Jaz ne bom. (I will not be.)
Jaz nisem bil/bila prišel/prišla. (I had not come.)
Double Negatives with "Biti"
As mentioned earlier, Slovenian often uses double negatives for emphasis. So, you can use "ne" with "biti" and another negative word like "nikoli" (never), "nič" (nothing), or "niti" (neither/nor) elsewhere in the sentence. For example:
On nikoli ni bil tukaj. (He was never here.)
Niti eden od njih ni prišel. (Not a single one of them came.)
Remember, as you practice negation in Slovenian, pay attention to the word order and the use of double negatives for emphasis. It`s a powerful tool for expressing negation in the language. Good luck!