Language/Central-pashto/Grammar/Negation

Central Pashto Grammar - Negation

Hi Central Pashto learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in Central Pashto. We will cover basic and intermediate level topics. Before we dive into the lesson, let's remind ourselves of some grammar concepts.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Nouns, Future Tense, Plurals & Past Simple.

Grammar review

Central Pashto is a SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) language. This means that the verb appears at the end of a sentence. The negation in Central Pashto is formed by adding "نه" "na" after the verb.

Before we proceed to examples of negation in Central Pashto, let's learn some cultural information about negation.

Cultural insight

In Central Pashto culture, being polite and respectful is highly valued. This reflects in their communication style. Directly saying "no" can be considered impolite. Therefore, Central Pashto speakers use indirect ways of expressing negation. People may use silence, ambiguity, or euphemisms to avoid direct negative responses.

Basic Negation

To create a basic negation sentence, you only need to add "نه" "na" right after the verb.

Example

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
کار کوله نه	"kar kawle na"	"not working"

Intermediate Negation

Now let's look at some more complex sentences using negation.

Negation with future tense

If we want to have a negative sentence in the future tense, we add "نه" "na" before the auxiliary verb "ش'و" "sha wo".

Example

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه غشته راغلم نه شوم	"za goeshte raghlelam na showm"	"I will not go tomorrow"

Negation with past tense

Past negation is formed by adding "نه" "na" after the verb in past.

Example

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه خو بليني نه کووم	"za khwub leni na kawom"	"I did not sleep well"

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue example to demonstrate negation in Central Pashto.

• Person 1: ما تا جوړه واي؟ (ma ta jora way?) ("Do you want to come with me?")
• Person 2: نه، زه د غواړو جانګنه راشئ، مې د بيز نشته وه. (na, za da ghawaaro janagana rashay, me da baiz nashta wah.) ("No, I have to attend a meeting, I am not free now.")

Conclusion

In conclusion, we learned about negation in Central Pashto. We covered basic and intermediate topics, and had a glimpse into Central Pashto culture. To improve your Central Pashto Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Pashto Language
• Afghanistan

Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Central Pashto Grammar → Basic Sentence Structure → Subject ..., Questions, Possessive Adjectives & Gender.

Other Lessons

• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Future Tense
• Adjectives
• Questions
• Gender
• Personal pronouns
• Conditional Mood
• Pronouns

Table of Contents - Central Pashto Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Personal Pronouns

• Subject Pronouns
• Object Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Counting

• Numbers 1-10
• Numbers 11-20

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Object-Verb
• Negation

  ---

Common Verbs

• Action Verbs
• State Verbs

  ---

Present Tense

• Present Simple
• Present Continuous

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Common Drinks

  ---

Questions

• Yes/No Questions
• Wh-Questions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives

• Possessive Pronouns
• Possessive Adjectives

  ---

House and Home

• Rooms and Furniture
• Household Chores

  ---

Prepositions

• Common Prepositions
• Prepositions of Place

  ---

Hobbies and Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Sports

  ---

Past Tense

• Past Simple
• Past Continuous

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Essentials

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Pashtun Customs and Traditions

• Traditional Clothing
• Pashtun Cuisine