Language/Nepali-individual-language/Grammar/Negation

Nepali (individual language) Grammar - Negation

Hi Nepali (individual language) learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Nepali (individual language) grammar. Negation is an important aspect of any language and is used to express the opposite or negative of a statement. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and use different types of negation in Nepali (individual language) grammar.

Introduction

In Nepali (individual language), negation is expressed using a combination of particles or auxiliary verbs with the main verb. The particles/auxiliary verb used in negation varies depending on the tense, aspect, and mood of the sentence. It is important to note that negation particles always come before the main verb in a sentence.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Conditional Mood, Give your Opinion, Pronouns & Negation in Nepali.

Negation particles

There are two main negation particles used in Nepali (individual language): "न" (na) and "छैन" (chaina).

"न" (na) is used with present tense verbs and is equivalent to "not" in English. For example:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
खान्छु बिहान।	Khanchhu bhiĥān.	I am eating breakfast.
खान्दैन बिहान।	Khandain bhiĥān.	I am not eating breakfast.

In the above example, we see that "न" (na) is added before the verb "खान्दैन" (khandain, which means "not eating") to negate the sentence.

"छैन" (chaina) is used with past and future tense verbs and is equivalent to "not" in English. For example:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
म बिहान खाएको छु।	Ma bhiĥān khāeko chu.	I ate breakfast in the morning.
म बिहान खाएको छैन।	Ma bhiĥān khāeko chaina.	I did not eat breakfast in the morning.
म बिहान खानेछु।	Ma bhiĥān khānechu.	I will eat breakfast in the morning.
म बिहान खानेछैन।	Ma bhiĥān khānechaina.	I will not eat breakfast in the morning.

In the above example, we see "छैन" (chaina) is added after the verb "खाएको" (khāeko, which means "ate") and "खानेछु" (khānechu, which means "will eat") to negate the sentence.

Auxiliary verbs

Auxiliary verbs are also used in Nepali (individual language) to express negation in certain contexts. Below are some examples:

Auxiliary verb meaning "to be"

The auxiliary verb "होइन" (ho'in) meaning "is not" or "am not" is used with the "ma" (I) form in the present tense to express negation. For example:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
म राम होइन।	Ma Rām ho'in.	I am not Ram.
म बुद्ध होइन।	Ma Buddha ho'in.	I am not Buddha.

Auxiliary verb meaning "to have"

The auxiliary verb "छैन" (chaina) meaning "don't have" or "doesn't have" is used with the "ma" (I) form in the present tense to express negation. For example:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
मलाई पैसा छैन।	Malāī paisā chaina.	I don't have money.
मलाई स्मार्टफोन छैन।	Malāī smārtafōn chaina.	I don't have a smartphone.

Auxiliary verb meaning "to do"

The auxiliary verb "गर्दैन" (gardain) meaning "don't do" or "doesn't do" is used with the present tense verbs to express negation. For example:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
तिनी नेपाली बोल्दैन।	Tinī Nepālī boldaina.	He doesn't speak Nepali.
तिनी पढ्दैन।	Tinī padhdaina.	He doesn't study.

Nuance in negation particles

It is important to note that the two negation particles used in Nepali (individual language) carry slightly different meanings. While "न" (na) means "not," "छैन" (chaina) carries the connotation of something being completely nonexistent or not happening at all. For example:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
तिनीलाई मलाई सजिलो छैन।	Tinīlāī malāī sajilo chaina.	She finds me difficult (more than just not finding me easy).
म स्कूल खाली पाएँछु। विद्यार्थीहरू सबैले छुट्टाको मज्जा चाहन्छन्। हामी छैनौं।	Ma skūl khālī pā'ēnchu. Vidhyārthīharū sabailē chhuṭṭākō majjā cāhannu. Hāmī chainau.	I have a day off from school. All students want to enjoy their day off. We don't.

Examples in dialogue

• Person 1: के तपाईंलाई यो पुस्तक मन पर्छ? (Ke tapāīlāī yo pustak man parach?) (Do you like this book?)
• Person 2: होइन, म यो पुस्तक मन पर्दैन। (Ho'in, ma yo pustak man pardain.) (No, I don't like this book.)

• Person 1: के तपाईंलाई समय छ? (Ke tapāīlāī samaya cha?) (Do you have time?)
• Person 2: मलाई समय छैन। (Malāī samaya chaina.) (I don't have time.)

• Person 1: तपाईंलाई नेपाली बोल्न सक्छन्? (Tapāīlāī Nepālī bolna sakchan?) (Can you speak Nepali?)
• Person 2: होइन, म नेपाली बोल्न सक्दैन। (Ho'in, ma Nepālī bolna sakdaina.) (No, I can't speak Nepali.)

Conclusion

Negation is an important aspect of Nepali (individual language) grammar and is used to express the opposite or negative of a statement. By understanding the different negation particles and auxiliary verbs used in Nepali (individual language), you will be able to express yourself more clearly and precisely in a variety of contexts. Remember to practice using negation in your speech and writing. To improve your Nepali (individual language) 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

• Nepali Language
• Grammar of Nepali language
• Negation in the Nepali language
• Auxiliary verb
• Particle (grammar)

Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: How to Use "Have", Future Tense, Noun Cases in Nepali & How to Use Be.

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Be
• Gender
• Verbs kriyaharu क्रियाहरू
• Questions
• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Future Tense