Guide to Hrvatski Negation (Syntax)
In the Croatian language, negation is a way to say 'no' or to express the opposite of something. It's like when you shake your head to say 'no' or when you say 'I don't want ice cream.' In Croatian, we use special words and rules to make sentences negative.
The word 'ne' is the most common way to make a sentence negative in Croatian. You put 'ne' in front of the verb to say that something is not happening.
Examples
- Ja ne idem u školu.
- Ona ne voli sladoled.
- Mi ne gledamo televiziju.
Negation with 'nema' and 'nije'
Sometimes, we use 'nema' or 'nije' to say 'there is not' or 'is not.' These are special words used for negation.
Examples
- Nema kruha.
- On nije sretan.
- U kući nema nikoga.
In Croatian, we have special pronouns to talk about 'nobody' or 'nothing.' These are 'nitko' for nobody and 'ništa' for nothing.
Examples
- Nitko ne zna odgovor.
- Ovdje ništa nije važno.
- Nitko ne dolazi.
Important Points
- 'Ne' is used before verbs.
- 'Nema' and 'nije' are special negation words.
- Negative pronouns like 'nitko' and 'ništa' are used for nobody and nothing.
In Croatian, double negation is common. This means using two negative words in the same sentence to make a strong negative statement.
Examples
- Nitko ne govori.
- Ništa ne radi.
- Ovdje nitko ne pjeva.