Language/Czech/Grammar/Negation

Czech Grammar - Negation

Hi Czech learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will talk about negation in Czech. Negation is an essential part of any language, it allows us to say what is not true or what is not the case. Understanding negation and how it works in Czech will help you to communicate more effectively, and to understand what others are saying more easily.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Possessive Case in Czech, Instrumental Case in Czech, Indefinite articles in Czech & Give your Opinion.

Negation in Czech

To create a negation in Czech, you usually use the word "ne". You put it before the main verb, just like in English, to create a negative form of the sentence.

Here's an example:

• "Já vidím auto." (I see a car)
• "Já nevidím auto." (I don't see a car)

In this example, "ne" is inserted before the main verb "vidím" to create the negative form of the sentence.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. When using negation with certain verbs or tenses, you need to use a different word order.

For example:

• "Viděl jsem auto." (I saw a car)
• "Nevidl jsem auto." (I didn't see a car)

In this example, you cannot insert "ne" before "viděl" to make the sentence negative. Instead, you need to change the verb "viděl" into "neviděl", which is its negative form.

Another exception is when using negation with a negation adverb, such as "nikdy" (never) or "nikdo" (nobody).

For example:

• "Nikdy nejím maso." (I never eat meat.)
• "Nikdo neviděl této film." (Nobody saw this movie.)

In these cases, the negation adverb comes first, followed by "ne".

Negation with infinitives

In Czech, negation works slightly differently when you are using infinitives. Infinitives are verbs that are not conjugated, and they are usually used after certain verbs or prepositions.

To negate an infinitive, you use the word "ne" together with the particle "si". The particle "si" is added to the end of the infinitive, just like in English the "to" in "to eat" is not part of the verb "eat".

Here's an example:

• "Chci jíst." (I want to eat.)
• "Nechci si jíst." (I don't want to eat.)

Notice that "ne" is here followed by "si" in order to negate the infinitive "jíst".

Double negation

In Czech, double negation (using "ne" twice) is not grammatically incorrect. However, it is not commonly used, and it can actually change the meaning of the sentence.

For example:

• "Nevstoupil nikdo." (Nobody entered.)
• "Ne vstoupil nikdo." (Not anybody entered.)

In the first sentence, we use the negation adverb "nikdo" to create a negative form of the verb "vstoupil". However, in the second sentence, we use "ne" twice to create double negation, which actually means that somebody did not enter. Be careful when using double negation in Czech, as it can be confusing.

Exercise

Now it's time for an exercise. Please translate these sentences into Czech, using negation:

• I don't like coffee.
• We didn't go to the store.
• She never eats eggs.
• Nobody knows the answer.

You can find the answers at the bottom of this page.

Useful expressions

To finish this lesson, here are some useful expressions that use negation in Czech:

• "Nerozumím" - I don't understand.
• "Nemluvím česky" - I don't speak Czech.
• "Není tu nikdo" - There is nobody here.
• "Nevidím dobře" - I can't see well.

Dialogue

Here's a dialogue to help you practice using negation in context:

• Person 1: Neumíš mluvit francouzsky? (Can't you speak French?)
• Person 2: Ne, bohužel ne. (No, unfortunately not.)
• Person 1: A co němčinu? (What about German?)
• Person 2: Ano, mluvím německy. (Yes, I can speak German.)

Sources

• Czech Negation: Learn How to Form Negative Sentences
• Czech Negation
• Czech conjugation - Wikipedia

Answer to the exercise

• "Nemám rád kávu."
• "Nechodili jsme do obchodu."
• "Nikdy nejí vejce."
• "Nikdo nezná odpověď."

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Comaratives and Superlatives
• Gender
• How to Use "Být" (to Be)
• How to Use Be
• Present Continuous in Czech
• Dative Case in Czech
• Indefinite articles in Czech
• Questions
• Locative Case in Czech