Language/Swiss-german/Grammar/Negation
Hi Swiss German learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will explore the negation in Swiss German grammar. Negation is a crucial part of the language and it allows us to express negations like "not", "none", "never", etc. Negation is also used in questions and imperative sentences. We will go over the different ways to express negation in Swiss German and give you some cultural insights along the way. So let's get started!
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Gender, Pronouns, How to Use Be & Give your Opinion.
Negation with "nöd"[edit | edit source]
One of the most common ways to express negation in Swiss German is to use the word "nöd". "Nöd" is used in the same way as "not" in English. It is usually placed after the verb or the auxiliary verb in a sentence.
| Swiss German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ich gang nöd isch | /ɪχ gɑŋ nœd ɪʃ/ | I'm not going |
| Mir händ nöd scho gfahre | /mɪɾ hɛnt nœd ʃoː xfaːɾə/ | We haven't driven yet |
| De nöchschti Zug chunnt nöd vor 12 Uhr | /də nœχʃti tsuɡ xʊnt nœt fɔr dwɛlf uːr/ | The next train won't arrive until 12 o'clock |
"Chlii und nöd hässlich" (Small and not ugly) is also a Swiss German saying that means "small but pretty." It illustrates the Swiss tendency for understatement and modesty.
Negation with "kai"[edit | edit source]
Another way to convey negation in Swiss German is to use "kai". "Kai" is translated as "no" or "none". Unlike "nöd", "kai" is placed before the noun it negates or before the adjective it modifies.
Let's look at some examples:
| Swiss German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ich ha kai Zyt. | /ɪχ hɑ kai tsyt/ | I have no time. |
| Mir hei kei Luscht. | /miɾ haɪ kɛi luʃt/ | We don't feel like it. |
| Kai Problem, das machi scho. | /kai pʁɔːbləm das mɑχi ʃo/ | No problem, I can do it. |
In Swiss German, there is a trend to blend the words "kei" and "ei" into "kai".
Negation with "niemer"[edit | edit source]
The word "niemer" means "nobody" or "never". It is used to express the negation of actions, people or events. "Niemer" is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Here are some examples:
| Swiss German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Niemer het eifach! | /niːmər hɛt aifax/ | Nobody has it easy! |
| Niemer weiss es sicher. | /niːmər vaɪs ɛs ziχɛr/ | Nobody knows for sure. |
| Da isch niemer. | /dɑ ɪʃ niːmər/ | There is nobody here. |
Negation in Questions[edit | edit source]
In Swiss German, negation can be included in a question by using the word "nöd" at the end of the sentence:
| Swiss German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Chasch du nöd cho? | /xaʃst u nœt xo/ | Aren't you coming? |
| Hesch du das nöd gseh? | /hɛʃ tu das nœt gseh/ | Didn't you see that? |
In Swiss German, the question word "nöd" can be used to express surprise or disbelief. For example, if someone tells you that they won the lottery, you might say "Seriös? Nöd?" (Seriously? Really?)
Negation in Imperative Form[edit | edit source]
In Swiss German, we can express negation in imperative sentences. To form a negative command, we use the word "muesch" or "söllsch" followed by a verb in infinitive form. This word is similar to "must" in English.
Let's look at some examples:
| Swiss German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Muesch nid so schnäll fahre. | /mʊɛʃ nit zoʊ ʃnɛl fɑːrə/ | Don't drive so fast. |
| Söllsch nöd eso viu Schoggi ässe. | /sœlʃ nœt eezɔ fiʊ ʃɔki ɛsə/ | You shouldn't eat so much chocolate. |
The Swiss have a love-hate relationship with the imperatives. On the one hand, they can sound rude, but on the other hand, they can be used in a playful, humorous way.
Summary[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we explored the different ways of expressing negation in Swiss German. We went over "nöd" and "kai" for negating verbs and adjectives and "niemer" for negating nouns. We also covered how to use negation in questions and imperative sentences.
Remember that Swiss Germans use negation as a way of expressing modesty, understatement, and politeness, so it is an essential part of the language to grasp.
If you want to improve your Swiss German grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ 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[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- How to Use Be
- Future Tense
- Pronouns
- Conditional Mood
- How to Use Have
- Questions
- Adjectives
- Plurals
- Gender