Double Negation (e.g., Nitko ne radi)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Croatian, you must use a negative particle with negative pronouns or adverbs to create a grammatically correct sentence.
- Always add 'ne' before the verb when using words like 'nitko' (nobody) or 'ništa' (nothing).
- If you use 'nikad' (never), the verb must also be negated with 'ne'.
- Multiple negatives do not cancel each other out; they reinforce the negative meaning.
2. Negative Concord Structure
| Negative Word | Negative Particle | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nitko
|
ne
|
radi
|
Nitko ne radi.
|
|
Ništa
|
ne
|
vidim
|
Ništa ne vidim.
|
|
Nikad
|
ne
|
spavam
|
Nikad ne spavam.
|
|
Nigdje
|
ne
|
idem
|
Nigdje ne idem.
|
|
Ničiji
|
ne
|
auto
|
Ničiji auto ne radi.
|
|
Nijedan
|
ne
|
dolazi
|
Nijedan ne dolazi.
|
Meanings
Croatian uses 'negative concord', meaning that negative pronouns and adverbs require the verb to be negated as well.
Universal Negation
Negating the subject or object while maintaining a negative verb.
“Nitko ne dolazi.”
“Ništa ne vidim.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb
|
On radi.
|
|
Negative (Simple)
|
Ne + Verb
|
Ne radi.
|
|
Negative (Concord)
|
Neg. Pronoun + Ne + Verb
|
Nitko ne radi.
|
|
Question
|
Da li + Subject + Verb?
|
Da li on radi?
|
|
Negative Question
|
Zar + Neg. Pronoun + Ne + Verb?
|
Zar nitko ne radi?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Ne + Verb
|
Ne radi.
|
|
Past Tense
|
Neg. Pronoun + Ne + Auxiliary + Participle
|
Nitko nije radio.
|
|
Future Tense
|
Neg. Pronoun + Ne + Auxiliary + Infinitive
|
Nitko neće raditi.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Nitko nije prisutan. (Describing attendance)
Nitko nije ovdje. (Describing attendance)
Nema nikoga. (Describing attendance)
Nema žive duše. (Describing attendance)
Negative Concord Map
Pronouns
- Nitko Nobody
- Ništa Nothing
Adverbs
- Nikad Never
- Nigdje Nowhere
English vs. Croatian Negation
Beispiele nach Niveau
Nitko ne spava.
Nobody is sleeping.
Ništa ne vidim.
I see nothing.
Nikad ne kasnim.
I am never late.
Nigdje ne idem.
I am going nowhere.
Nitko ne zna gdje je on.
Nobody knows where he is.
Ništa ne želim kupiti.
I don't want to buy anything.
Nikad ne pijem kavu.
I never drink coffee.
Nigdje ne mogu naći ključeve.
I can't find the keys anywhere.
Nitko ne bi trebao znati istinu.
Nobody should know the truth.
Ništa ne može promijeniti moju odluku.
Nothing can change my decision.
Nikad ne bih rekao da je to istina.
I would never say that it is true.
Nigdje ne piše da je zatvoreno.
It doesn't say anywhere that it is closed.
Nitko ne može poreći da je situacija teška.
Nobody can deny that the situation is difficult.
Ništa ne ukazuje na to da će padati kiša.
Nothing indicates that it will rain.
Nikad ne bih pomislio da će se to dogoditi.
I would never have thought that would happen.
Nigdje ne postoji bolji restoran u gradu.
There is no better restaurant in town anywhere.
Nitko ne smije biti izuzet od zakona.
Nobody may be exempt from the law.
Ništa ne opravdava takvo ponašanje.
Nothing justifies such behavior.
Nikad ne prestaje me iznenađivati.
It never ceases to surprise me.
Nigdje ne nalazimo dokaze za tu tvrdnju.
We find no evidence for that claim anywhere.
Nitko ne može poreći povijesnu važnost tog događaja.
Nobody can deny the historical importance of that event.
Ništa ne može nadomjestiti izgubljeno vrijeme.
Nothing can replace lost time.
Nikad ne bismo trebali zaboraviti naše korijene.
We should never forget our roots.
Nigdje ne postoji zapis o tom drevnom običaju.
There is no record of that ancient custom anywhere.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners mix up 'Ne radim' and 'Nitko ne radi'.
Learners use them interchangeably.
Mixing up time and place.
Häufige Fehler
Nitko radi.
Nitko ne radi.
Ne nitko radi.
Nitko ne radi.
Nitko ne radi ništa.
Nitko ne radi ništa.
Nema nitko.
Nitko nema.
Nikad radim.
Nikad ne radim.
Nigdje idem.
Nigdje ne idem.
Ništa ne vidim.
Ništa ne vidim.
Nitko ne bi radio.
Nitko ne bi radio.
Nijedan čovjek ne dolazi.
Nijedan čovjek ne dolazi.
Ne znam nitko.
Ne znam nikoga.
Nitko ne može da radi.
Nitko ne može raditi.
Ništa ne znači to.
To ne znači ništa.
Nigdje ne postoji.
Nigdje ne postoji.
Satzmuster
___ ne radi.
Ja ___ ne vidim.
___ ne idem.
___ ne može promijeniti moju odluku.
Real World Usage
Nitko ne odgovara!
Ništa ne razumijem.
Nikad ne kasnim.
Nigdje ne vidim izlaz.
Ništa ne želim dodati.
Nitko ne može osporiti.
The 'Ni-' Magnet
Don't translate literally
Listen for the rhythm
Sounding Natural
Smart Tips
Always pair 'Nitko' with 'ne'.
Always pair 'Ništa' with 'ne'.
Always pair 'Nikad' with 'ne'.
Always pair 'Nigdje' with 'ne'.
Aussprache
Stress
The negative particle 'ne' is usually unstressed and attached to the verb.
Intonation
Negative sentences often have a falling intonation at the end.
Declarative Negative
Ništa ne vidim ↘
Stating a negative fact.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of the 'Ni-' words as magnets that pull the 'ne' particle to the verb.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a person holding a 'Ni-' sign, and the verb is a mirror reflecting the 'ne' particle back at them.
Rhyme
When you start with Ni, add ne before the verb, that's the rule for you and me.
Story
Marko is a very negative person. He says 'Nitko' (nobody) is coming. He says 'Ništa' (nothing) is happening. Because he is so negative, he always adds 'ne' to his verbs to make sure everyone knows he is serious.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write 5 sentences about your day using a different negative pronoun in each one.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Negative concord is a sign of educated and correct speech.
Often uses specific negative particles or word order variations.
Maintains strict negative concord but with specific regional vocabulary.
Negative concord is a common feature in Slavic languages, originating from Proto-Slavic.
Gesprächseinstiege
Što radiš danas?
Poznaješ li nekoga ovdje?
Jesi li ikada bio u Zagrebu?
Što misliš o ovoj situaciji?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
___ ne radi.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Nikad radim.
On radi. (Nobody works)
In Croatian, double negatives are grammatically incorrect.
A: Što vidiš? B: ___.
ne / vidim / ništa
Nitko (ići) ___.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercises___ ne radi.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Nikad radim.
On radi. (Nobody works)
In Croatian, double negatives are grammatically incorrect.
A: Što vidiš? B: ___.
ne / vidim / ništa
Nitko (ići) ___.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It's just how the language works! It's called negative concord and it's mandatory.
No, never in standard Croatian.
Yes, it applies to past, present, and future.
You still only need one 'ne' before the verb.
It's both! It's the standard way to speak.
Because we are taught that double negatives are 'wrong' in English.
Very few, mostly in specific poetic or archaic contexts.
Try to write simple sentences using 'nitko', 'ništa', 'nikad'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Nadie trabaja.
Spanish doesn't always require a second negative particle if the negative pronoun is the subject.
Personne ne travaille.
French is more formal with the 'ne' particle in speech.
Niemand arbeitet.
German avoids double negatives.
Dare mo hatarakanai.
Japanese uses a suffix on the verb rather than a separate particle.
La ahad ya'mal.
Arabic negation is usually at the start of the sentence.
Meiyou ren gongzuo.
Chinese does not have a direct equivalent to negative concord.
