A1 Negation 1 min read Fácil

Negative Adverbs

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Romanian, negation is simple: place 'nu' before the verb, and use 'nici' for 'neither/nor' or 'not even'.

  • Place 'nu' directly before the verb: 'Eu nu mănânc' (I do not eat).
  • Use 'nici' for emphasis or 'neither/nor': 'Nici eu nu știu' (I don't know either).
  • Double negatives are mandatory: 'Nu văd nimic' (I see nothing).
nu + Verb

Meanings

The primary way to express negation in Romanian is by using the particle 'nu' before the conjugated verb.

1

Standard Negation

General negation of a verb action.

“Nu știu.”

“Nu vreau.”

2

Negative Adverbial

Using 'nici' to mean 'neither' or 'not even'.

“Nici el nu vine.”

“Nici nu m-am gândit.”

Negation with 'a fi' (to be)

Affirmative Negative Translation
Eu sunt Eu nu sunt I am / I am not
Tu ești Tu nu ești You are / You are not
El/Ea este El/Ea nu este He/She is / He/She is not
Noi suntem Noi nu suntem We are / We are not
Voi sunteți Voi nu sunteți You are / You are not
Ei/Ele sunt Ei/Ele nu sunt They are / They are not

Common Contractions

Full Form Contraction Usage
nu am n-am Informal
nu este nu-i Informal
nu are n-are Informal

Reference Table

Reference table for Negative Adverbs
Form Structure Example
Standard nu + Verb Nu mănânc.
Never nu + Verb + niciodată Nu mănânc niciodată.
Nothing nu + Verb + nimic Nu văd nimic.
Nobody nu + Verb + nimeni Nu văd pe nimeni.
Neither nici + Subject + nu + Verb Nici eu nu știu.
Short Answer Nu Nu.
Emphasis Nici măcar + nu + Verb Nici măcar nu știu.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
Nu cunosc acest aspect.

Nu cunosc acest aspect. (General)

Neutral
Nu știu.

Nu știu. (General)

Informal
N-am idee.

N-am idee. (General)

Jerga
Habar n-am.

Habar n-am. (General)

Negation Map

Negation

Adverbs

  • niciodată never
  • nicăieri nowhere

Pronouns

  • nimeni nobody
  • nimic nothing

English vs Romanian Negation

English
I see nothing Single negative
Romanian
Nu văd nimic Double negative
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Examples by Level

1

Eu nu mănânc carne.

I do not eat meat.

2

Nu știu.

I don't know.

3

Ea nu vine azi.

She is not coming today.

4

Nu avem timp.

We don't have time.

1

Nu merg niciodată acolo.

I never go there.

2

Nu văd pe nimeni.

I don't see anyone.

3

Nu am făcut nimic.

I didn't do anything.

4

Nici eu nu vreau.

I don't want to either.

1

Nici nu m-am gândit la asta.

I didn't even think about that.

2

Nu cred că vine, nici el.

I don't think he's coming, neither is he.

3

Nu e nici bine, nici rău.

It is neither good nor bad.

4

Nu mai pot aștepta.

I can't wait anymore.

1

Nu a fost nimeni prezent la ședință.

Nobody was present at the meeting.

2

Nu am nicio idee despre ce vorbești.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

3

Nu se poate face nimic în acest sens.

Nothing can be done in this regard.

4

Nici măcar nu a încercat.

He didn't even try.

1

Nu că nu aș vrea, dar nu pot.

It's not that I wouldn't want to, but I can't.

2

Nici prin cap nu mi-a trecut.

It didn't even cross my mind.

3

Nu a rămas nimic din ce a fost odată.

Nothing remains of what once was.

4

Nu se știe niciodată ce ne rezervă viitorul.

You never know what the future holds.

1

Niciun om nu poate fi cu adevărat liber fără educație.

No man can be truly free without education.

2

Nu-i așa că ai uitat?

Isn't it true that you forgot?

3

Nu s-ar zice că e supărat.

One wouldn't say he is upset.

4

Niciunul dintre ei nu a venit.

None of them came.

Easily Confused

Negative Adverbs vs Nu vs Nici

Learners mix up when to use 'nu' (general negation) and 'nici' (neither/nor).

Negative Adverbs vs Nimic vs Nimeni

Mixing up 'nothing' and 'nobody'.

Negative Adverbs vs Nu vs Nu-i

Using 'nu-i' (it is not) as a general negation.

Errores comunes

✗

Văd nu nimic

✓

Nu văd nimic

Nu must come before the verb.
✗

Eu nu mănânc nimic

✓

Eu nu mănânc nimic

Wait, this is correct! Mistake is usually omitting 'nu'.
✗

Nu mănânc ceva

✓

Nu mănânc nimic

In negative sentences, use negative pronouns.
✗

Nu știu nici

✓

Nici eu nu știu

Nici goes at the start for agreement.
✗

Niciodată merg

✓

Nu merg niciodată

Must keep 'nu' even with 'niciodată'.
✗

Nu văd nimeni

✓

Nu văd pe nimeni

Need the personal 'pe' for people.
✗

Nu am niciun

✓

Nu am niciun

This is correct, but learners often use 'nu am un'.
✗

Nu cred că el vine

✓

Nu cred că vine

Subject pronoun is often dropped.
✗

Nici nu știu ce să fac

✓

Nici nu știu ce să fac

Correct, but learners often add extra words.
✗

Nu e nimic de făcut

✓

Nu e nimic de făcut

Correct, but watch for 'de' usage.
✗

Nu aș fi știut

✓

Nu aș fi știut

Correct, but watch for conditional negation.
✗

Niciunul nu a venit

✓

Niciunul nu a venit

Correct, but watch for agreement.
✗

Nu-i așa că nu știai?

✓

Nu-i așa că nu știai?

Correct, but watch for double negation in questions.

Sentence Patterns

Eu ___ ___.

Nu ___ ___.

Nici eu ___ ___.

Nu ___ ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

Nu vreau ceapă.

Texting very common

N-am timp.

Job interview common

Nu am experiență în acest domeniu.

Travel common

Nu știu unde este gara.

Social media very common

Nici eu nu sunt de acord.

Delivery apps common

Nu lăsați comanda la ușă.

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💡

The 'Nu' Rule

Always put 'nu' before the verb. It never moves.
⚠️

Double Negatives

Don't be afraid of double negatives. They are required in Romanian.
🎯

Contractions

In casual speech, 'nu am' becomes 'n-am'. Use this to sound like a local.
💬

Directness

Saying 'nu' is perfectly polite in Romania.

Smart Tips

Remember the double negative: 'Nu am nimic'.

Am nimic. → Nu am nimic.

Use 'nu' + verb + 'niciodată'.

Niciodată merg. → Nu merg niciodată.

Use 'Nici eu'.

Și eu nu. → Nici eu.

Don't forget the 'pe' for people: 'Nu văd pe nimeni'.

Nu văd nimeni. → Nu văd pe nimeni.

Pronunciación

/nu/

Nu

Pronounced like 'no' in English but with a shorter, crisper 'u'.

Falling

Nu. ↘

Definitive refusal.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'nu' as a 'No-U-Turn' sign that you must place before every verb.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant 'NU' neon sign hanging above every verb you speak. If you don't see the sign, the sentence isn't negative!

Rhyme

Before the verb, put the 'nu', it's the only thing you need to do.

Story

Ion wanted to eat. He said 'Mănânc'. But he had no food. So he added 'nu' before the verb: 'Nu mănânc'. Then he looked for food, but found nothing. He said 'Nu văd nimic'.

Word Web

nunicinimicnimeniniciodatănicăieri

Desafío

Write 5 sentences about things you don't do today using 'nu' and 'niciodată'.

Notas culturales

Romanians are direct with 'nu'. It is not considered rude to say 'nu' when offered something you don't want.

Comes from Latin 'non'.

Conversation Starters

“

Vrei să mergem la film?

“

Ai văzut pe cineva?

“

Crezi că va ploua?

“

Ai fost vreodată în România?

Journal Prompts

Write about 3 things you don't like to eat.
Describe a place you have never visited.
Write about a time you had no idea what to do.
Discuss why you don't agree with a common opinion.
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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct negation.

Eu ___ mănânc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nu
Nu is the standard negation particle.
Choose the correct sentence. Opción múltiple

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu văd nimic.
Nu must precede the verb.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu știu nu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu știu.
Nu goes before the verb.
Make the sentence negative. Sentence Transformation

Eu merg la școală.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu nu merg la școală.
Add nu before the verb.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Vrei cafea? B: ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu, mulțumesc.
Standard polite refusal.
Match the negative word to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Nobody, 2-Nothing, 3-Never
Correct definitions.
Order the words. Sentence Building

văd / nu / nimic

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu văd nimic.
Standard word order.
Select the correct negative adverb. Opción múltiple

Nu merg ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: niciodată
Niciodată fits the context of 'going'.

Score: /8

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct negation.

Eu ___ mănânc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nu
Nu is the standard negation particle.
Choose the correct sentence. Opción múltiple

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu văd nimic.
Nu must precede the verb.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu știu nu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu știu.
Nu goes before the verb.
Make the sentence negative. Sentence Transformation

Eu merg la școală.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu nu merg la școală.
Add nu before the verb.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Vrei cafea? B: ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu, mulțumesc.
Standard polite refusal.
Match the negative word to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match: 1. Nimeni, 2. Nimic, 3. Niciodată

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Nobody, 2-Nothing, 3-Never
Correct definitions.
Order the words. Sentence Building

văd / nu / nimic

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nu văd nimic.
Standard word order.
Select the correct negative adverb. Opción múltiple

Nu merg ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: niciodată
Niciodată fits the context of 'going'.

Score: /8

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

No, you only use 'nu' once before the verb. Use other negative words like 'nimic' for the rest.

Yes, in standard Romanian, 'nu' is always placed immediately before the conjugated verb.

Usually, you negate the main verb: 'Nu vreau să mănânc'.

Not at all. It is the standard way to say no.

'Nu' is for general negation, 'nici' is for 'neither/nor'.

Yes: 'Nu mergi?' (Are you not going?).

That is a common contraction in speech.

No, they are grammatically required in Romanian.

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

No + verb

Spanish is slightly more flexible with word order.

French partial

ne + verb + pas

French requires 'pas' or other particles.

German low

nicht / kein

German negation placement depends on the sentence structure.

Japanese low

verb + nai

Romanian uses a separate particle.

Arabic moderate

la + verb

Arabic has different particles for different tenses.

Chinese low

bu / mei

Chinese negation depends on the aspect of the verb.

Previous
Negative Pronouns
Next
Double Negation

Related Grammar Rules

A0

Basic Yes/No (Afirmație/Negație)
A1

Double Negation
A1

Simple Negation (Nu)
A1

Advanced Negation
A1

Negative Pronouns
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