Language/Afrikaans/Grammar/Negation
Afrikaans is perhaps best known for its double negation, the full intricacies of which are quite difficult to master. The exact origins of the so-called double negative in Afrikaans are still not fully understood. In the description that follows, the term "scope marker" is used to refer to the second negative particle, nie, where one is required, whereas the first is called the "negator".13.1.
The negators
The following words negate:
geen/g'n
no, not a/any
geeneen
not one'
geensins
by no means, not in any way
nerens
nowhere
nie
not
niemand
no-one,nobody
niks
nothing
nooit
never
In certain limited contexts they functionalone, but in the majority of cases they are complemented by a nie (the scopemarker), which demarcates the extent of the negation.
Rules for the use and position of the scope marker
If a sentence consists of only a subject and a finite verb, only the negator is required, e.g.
- Ek weet nie
I don't know.
- Hy bid nooit.
He never prays.
If it consists of only a subject, verb and a pronominal object, once again onlythe negator is required, e.g.
- Weet jy dit nie?
Don't you know that?
- Ek ken horn nie.
don't know him.
Source
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110863154.401/html