Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Negation

Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar - Negation

Hi Modern Greek (1453-) learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Modern Greek (1453-). You will learn how to negate verbs, adjectives, nouns, and expressions. We will also explore some interesting cultural information related to negation in Greek. 😎

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Verb To Be, The predicate, Prepositions and conjunctions & Greek phonology of the consonants : Φφ Θθ .

Negating verbs

In Modern Greek (1453-), negating verbs is easy. You just need to add the word "δε(ν)" *(den) before the verb. For example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
Δε μιλάω	Den milao	I don't speak
Δε φεύγω	Den fevgo	I don't leave
Δεν πίνω καφέ	Den pino kafe	I don't drink coffee

Note that the word "δεν" (den) is always followed by the verb, and the verb is always in its base form (present tense).

In spoken Greek, it is also common to use the word "μην" (min) instead of "δεν" (den) to negate verbs in imperative form (commands). For example, "Don't speak!" can be translated as "Μη μιλάς!" (Mi milas!) or "Μη μιλήσεις!" (Mi milisis!).

Let's see some examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Πίνεις καφέ; (Pineis kafe? Are you drinking coffee?)
• Person 2: Όχι, δεν πίνω καφέ. (Oxi, den pino kafe. No, I'm not drinking coffee.)

Negating adjectives

To negate an adjective in Modern Greek (1453-), you need to add the word "δεν" (den) before the adjective. For example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
Δεν είμαι χαρούμενος	Den ime haroumenos	I am not happy
Δεν είμαι κουρασμένος	Den ime kourasmenos	I am not tired
Δεν είναι καλός μαθητής	Den einai kalos mathitis	He is not a good student

Just like in negating verbs, the word "δε(ν)" (den) is always followed by the adjective.

In Greek culture, it is not common to use negative adjectives to describe people directly, as it is considered impolite. Instead, Greeks prefer to use more indirect ways of expressing negativity, such as using irony or sarcasm. For example, instead of saying "He is not a good student", a Greek might say "Ναι, κάτι τέτοιο" (Nai, kati tetoiο), which roughly means "Yes, something like that."

Let's see some examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Είσαι χαρούμενος; (Eisai haroumenos? Are you happy?)
• Person 2: Όχι, δεν είμαι πολύ χαρούμενος σήμερα. (Oxi, den ime poli haroumenos simera. No, I am not very happy today.)

Negating nouns and expressions

Negating nouns and expressions in Modern Greek (1453-) requires a different approach. To negate a noun or an expression, we use the word "δεν" (den) and the word "είναι" (ine) together. For example:

Modern Greek (1453-)	Pronunciation	English
Αυτό δεν είναι το βιβλίο μου	Den ine afto to vivlio mou	This is not my book
Αυτό το μάθημα δεν είναι εύκολο	Den ine efkolo afto to mathima	This lesson is not easy
Εδώ δεν είμαι ασφαλής	Edw dèn îme asfalpis	I'm not safe here

In this case, the word "δε(ν)" (den) comes first, followed by the word "είναι" (ine) and then the noun or expression we want to negate.

In Greek culture, negation is often used in a very indirect way, especially in more formal contexts. Instead of saying "No", Greeks might use expressions like "Ίσως" (Isos), which means "Maybe", or "Δεν ξέρω" (Den ksero), which means "I don't know".

Let's see some examples in a dialogue:

• Person 1: Πού είναι το βιβλίο μου; (Pu ine to vivlio mou? Where is my book?)
• Person 2: Αυτό δεν είναι το βιβλίο σου. (afto den ine to vivlio sou : This is not your book.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned how to negate verbs, adjectives, nouns, and expressions in Modern Greek (1453-). We also explored some interesting cultural facts related to negation in Greek. To improve your Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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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. 😎

Sources

• Wikipedia - Greek Grammar
• Wikipedia - Greek Language

Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Homonyms and homophones, Verbs Conjugation Groups, Adjective Agreement & Pronoms interrogatifs.

* Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/The-final-v

Other Lessons

• Words with 2 accents
• Direct and indirect speech
• Word Accentuation
• Verbes elliptiques, impersonnels et irréguliers
• How to Use Be
• The use of uppercase and lowercase
• Greek phonology of the consonants : Φφ Θθ
• Negations
• Personal Pronouns
• Various Greek linguistic terms