Language/Russian/Grammar/Negation
Hi Russian learners!😊
Learning Russian Grammar can be a challenge, but with the right approach and practice, you can master it in no time. In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Russian.
What is Negation?
Negation is a grammatical construction that expresses the opposite of an affirmative statement. In other words, it is used to express a denial or refusal. In Russian, there are several ways to express negation.
Negative Particles
The most common way to express negation in Russian is by using negative particles. These particles are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence and they change the meaning of the sentence from affirmative to negative. The most common negative particles are не (ne), ни (ni), никто (nikto) and ничто (nichto).
Не (Ne)
Не (ne) is the most commonly used negative particle in Russian. It is used to negate verbs, adjectives, adverbs and nouns.
Examples:
| Word in Russian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Я не знаю | Ya ne znayu | I don't know |
| Он не пришёл | On ne prishol | He didn't come |
| Это не правда | Eto ne pravda | That's not true |
| Она не красивая | Ona ne krasivaya | She is not beautiful |
| Он не умный | On ne umnyy | He is not smart |
Ни (Ni)
Ни (ni) is used to negate verbs in the past tense. It is also used to negate nouns in the plural form.
Examples:
| Word in Russian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Они ни пришли | Oni ni prishli | They didn't come |
| Они ни знали | Oni ni znali | They didn't know |
| Они ни были | Oni ni byli | They weren't |
| Они ни дома | Oni ni doma | They weren't home |
| Они ни правы | Oni ni pravy | They aren't right |
Никто (Nikto) and Ничто (Nichto)
Никто (nikto) and ничто (nichto) are used to negate nouns in the singular form.
Examples:
| Word in Russian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Никто не знает | Nikto ne znaet | Nobody knows |
| Никто не пришёл | Nikto ne prishol | Nobody came |
| Ничто не правда | Nichto ne pravda | Nothing is true |
| Никто не красивый | Nikto ne krasivyy | Nobody is beautiful |
| Ничто не умное | Nichto ne umnoee | Nothing is smart |
Other Ways to Express Negation
In addition to negative particles, there are other ways to express negation in Russian. These include the use of prefixes, suffixes, and adverbs.
Prefixes
Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. The most common prefixes used to express negation in Russian are не- (ne-) and ни- (ni-).
Examples:
| Word in Russian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Неверный | Nevernyy | Unfaithful |
| Неправильный | Nepravil'nyy | Wrong |
| Никогда | Nikogda | Never |
| Ничего | Nichego | Nothing |
| Никакой | Nikakoy | No kind |
Suffixes
Suffixes are added to the end of a word to change its meaning. The most common suffix used to express negation in Russian is -же (-zhe).
Examples:
| Word in Russian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Не делайте этого | Ne delayte etogo | Don't do this |
| Не говорите это | Ne govorite eto | Don't say this |
| Не думайте это | Ne dumayte eto | Don't think this |
| Не делайте этого-же | Ne delayte etogo-zhe | Don't do this either |
| Не говорите это-же | Ne govorite eto-zhe | Don't say this either |
Adverbs
Adverbs are used to modify or qualify other words or phrases. The most common adverbs used to express negation in Russian are никогда (nikogda) and никак (nikak).
Examples:
| Word in Russian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Я никогда не думал | Ya nikogda ne dumal | I never thought |
| Он никогда не приходил | On nikogda ne prikhodil | He never came |
| Она никогда не была | Ona nikogda ne byla | She was never |
| Он никак не понимает | On nikak ne ponimaet | He doesn't understand at all |
| Она никак не может | Ona nikak ne mozhet | She can't at all |
Conclusion
Negation is an important part of Russian grammar. By understanding how to use negative particles, prefixes, suffixes, and adverbs, you can express yourself more accurately in Russian. To improve your Russian 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.
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