Understanding Negation in Ukrainian Grammar
In Ukrainian, negation is used to say 'no' or to express the opposite of something. It's like when you shake your head to say 'no' to something you don't want or agree with.
Important Points
- Negation with verbs
- Negation with nouns
- Double negation
- Common negation words
When you want to say that someone does not do something, you add 'не' before the verb. It's like saying 'not' in English.
Examples
- Я не їм яблука. (I do not eat apples.)
- Він не спить. (He is not sleeping.)
To say you don't have something, you can use 'немає' or 'нема'. It's like saying 'there is no' in English.
Examples
- У мене немає грошей. (I do not have money.)
- Тут нема людей. (There are no people here.)
In Ukrainian, it's okay to use two negative words in the same sentence. This is called double negation, and it makes the sentence even more negative.
Examples
- Я ніколи не бачив цього. (I have never not seen this.)
- Він нічого не знає. (He does not know anything.)
Important Points
- 'не' - not
- 'немає'/'нема' - there is no
- 'ніколи' - never
- 'нічого' - nothing