A1 Negation 1 min read Facile

Double Negation in Czech

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Czech, you must use a negative particle with every negative pronoun or adverb in the sentence.

  • Always add 'ne-' to the verb: 'Nejím' (I am not eating).
  • Use negative pronouns like 'nikdo' (nobody) even if the verb is already negative.
  • Never use a single negative; Czech loves to stack them for emphasis.
Ne-Verb + Negative Pronoun (e.g., Nikdo + neví)

2. Negative Verb Formation

Affirmative Negative Meaning
Dělám
Nedělám
I do / I don't do
Vidím
Nevidím
I see / I don't see
Jdu
Nejdu
I go / I don't go
Vím
Nevím
I know / I don't know
Mám
Nemám
I have / I don't have
Chci
Nechci
I want / I don't want

2. Negative Pronoun Pairs

Pronoun Negative Form Meaning
Kdo
Nikdo
Who / Nobody
Co
Nic
What / Nothing
Kdy
Nikdy
When / Never
Kam
Nikam
Where to / Nowhere to

Meanings

Czech uses negative concord, meaning that negative pronouns and adverbs require the verb to also be negated.

1

General Negation

Standard negation of a sentence containing negative pronouns.

“Nikdy tam nejdu.”

“Nic nevidím.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Double Negation in Czech
Form Structure Example
Simple Negative
Ne- + Verb
Nejdu.
Negative Pronoun
Pronoun + Ne-Verb
Nikdo nejde.
Object Negation
Subject + Nic + Ne-Verb
Já nic nechci.
Past Tense
Pronoun + Ne-Verb (past)
Nikdo nešel.
Future Tense
Pronoun + Ne-Verb (future)
Nikdo nepůjde.
Question
Ne-Verb + Pronoun?
Nechceš nic?
Short Answer
Ne + Verb
Ne, nechci.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
Nevím nic.

Nevím nic. (General)

Neutre
Nic nevím.

Nic nevím. (General)

Informel
Nic nevím.

Nic nevím. (General)

Argot
Vůbec nic nevím.

Vůbec nic nevím. (General)

Negative Harmony Map

Verb (ne-)

Pronouns

  • Nikdo Nobody
  • Nic Nothing

Adverbs

  • Nikdy Never
  • Nikam Nowhere

English vs Czech Negation

English
I see nothing Nothing
Czech
Nic nevidím Nothing I-don't-see

The Negation Decision Tree

1

Is the sentence negative?

YES
Add 'ne-' to verb
NO
Keep affirmative
2

Is there a negative pronoun?

YES
Include it
NO
End sentence

Exemples par niveau

1

Nevím.

I don't know.

2

Nikdo neví.

Nobody knows.

3

Nejím.

I am not eating.

4

Nic nechci.

I don't want anything.

1

Nikdy tam nejdu.

I never go there.

2

Nikdo mi nevolal.

Nobody called me.

3

Nic jsem neviděl.

I didn't see anything.

4

Nikam nejedeme.

We are not going anywhere.

1

Nikomu jsem to neřekl.

I haven't told anyone.

2

Nic se neděje.

Nothing is happening.

3

Nikdy jsem tam nebyl.

I have never been there.

4

Nikdo se mě na nic neptal.

Nobody asked me anything.

1

Nikdo z nás o tom nic nevěděl.

None of us knew anything about it.

2

Nikdy jsem neviděl nic tak krásného.

I have never seen anything so beautiful.

3

Nikam se nedovoláš.

You won't get through to anyone.

4

Nikdo mi nedal žádnou odpověď.

Nobody gave me any answer.

1

Nikdy jsem se s ničím podobným nesetkal.

I have never encountered anything similar.

2

Nikdo nemůže popřít, že nic neví.

Nobody can deny that he knows nothing.

3

Nikam se neuchýlíš, pokud nic nezkusíš.

You won't get anywhere if you don't try anything.

4

Nikomu se nic nestalo.

Nothing happened to anyone.

1

Nikdy nebylo řečeno nic důležitějšího.

Nothing more important has ever been said.

2

Nikdo z nich neudělal nic špatně.

None of them did anything wrong.

3

Nikam nevedoucí diskuse nikomu nepomůže.

A discussion leading nowhere will help no one.

4

Nikdy jsem neviděl nikoho, kdo by nic nevěděl.

I have never seen anyone who knew nothing.

Facile à confondre

Double Negation in Czech vs Něco vs. Nic

Learners mix up 'something' and 'nothing' in negative sentences.

Double Negation in Czech vs Nikdo vs. Někdo

Learners use 'někdo' (someone) in negative sentences.

Double Negation in Czech vs Nikdy vs. Někdy

Learners use 'někdy' (sometimes) in negative sentences.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Nikdo ví.

✓

Nikdo neví.

Missing the 'ne-' prefix on the verb.
✗

Já nic dělám.

✓

Já nic nedělám.

Verb must be negated.
✗

Vidím nic.

✓

Nic nevidím.

Negative pronouns usually come before the verb.
✗

Ne-vidím nic.

✓

Nic nevidím.

The prefix is attached, not hyphenated.
✗

Nikdy tam jdu.

✓

Nikdy tam nejdu.

Verb must match the negative adverb.
✗

Nechci něco.

✓

Nechci nic.

Use 'nic' in negative sentences.
✗

Nikdo mi volal.

✓

Nikdo mi nevolal.

Past tense verb also needs 'ne-'.
✗

Nikomu jsem to řekl.

✓

Nikomu jsem to neřekl.

Perfective verbs also need 'ne-'.
✗

Nic se stalo.

✓

Nic se nestalo.

Reflexive verbs also need 'ne-'.
✗

Nikam nejedou.

✓

Nikam nejedou.

Correct, but ensure the pronoun is used.
✗

Nikdo nemůže popřít, že něco ví.

✓

Nikdo nemůže popřít, že nic neví.

Subordinate clauses also require negative concord.
✗

Nikdy jsem neviděl nikoho, kdo by něco věděl.

✓

Nikdy jsem neviděl nikoho, kdo by nic nevěděl.

Complex sentences need consistent negation.
✗

Nikam nevedoucí diskuse nikomu pomůže.

✓

Nikam nevedoucí diskuse nikomu nepomůže.

Even in complex phrases, negation must be maintained.
✗

Nikdo neudělal nic správně.

✓

Nikdo neudělal nic správně.

Correct, but watch for adverbial negation.

Structures de phrases

___ neví, kde to je.

Já ___ nechci.

___ tam nejdu.

___ mi neposlal e-mail.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Nikam nejdu.

Job Interview common

Nikdo mi o tom neřekl.

Ordering Food occasional

Nic nechci.

Travel common

Nikde to není.

Social Media very common

Nikdy neříkej nikdy.

Email common

Nikdo se mi neozval.

💡

Think of it as a team

The negative pronoun and the verb are a team. They both need to be negative.
⚠️

Don't translate 'any'

English 'any' in negative sentences is 'nic' or 'nikdo' in Czech.
🎯

Prefix check

Always check if your verb starts with 'ne-' when you see a 'ni-' word.
💬

Be direct

Czechs don't soften negatives; it's perfectly polite to say 'Nic nechci'.

Smart Tips

Immediately look for the verb and add 'ne-'.

Nikdo ví. → Nikdo neví.

Use 'žádný' (none) with a negated verb.

Nemám peníze. → Nemám žádné peníze.

Always use the full negative form.

Nikdo tu není. → Nikdo zde není.

Ensure every negative pronoun has a matching negated verb.

Nikdo neudělal nic. → Nikdo neudělal nic.

Prononciation

neh-

Prefix 'ne-'

The 'e' is short and the 'n' is clearly pronounced.

NEE-kdo

Negative pronouns

The 'ni-' prefix is always stressed.

Statement

Nikdo neví. ↘

Falling intonation for a final statement.

Question

Nikdo neví? ↗

Rising intonation for a question.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Ne- is the key, it must be with me!

Association visuelle

Imagine a magnet. The 'ne-' prefix is a magnet that pulls all the negative words (nikdo, nic, nikdy) toward the verb.

Rhyme

If you see a 'ni', add 'ne' to the verb, don't be shy!

Story

Petr is a very negative person. He says 'Nikdo' (nobody) comes to see him. He says 'Nikdy' (never) goes out. And he says 'Nic' (nothing) is fun. Because he is so negative, his verb 'ne-přijde' (won't come) is also negative.

Word Web

NikdoNicNikdyNikamNikomuNe-

Défi

Write 5 sentences about things you don't do, using a different negative pronoun in each.

Notes culturelles

Czechs are often direct. Using 'nic' is standard and not considered rude.

In some Moravian dialects, you might hear additional particles, but the double negation rule remains.

Standard Czech is spoken in Prague; the double negation is strictly followed.

The negative concord system is an ancient Slavic trait.

Amorces de conversation

“

Co dnes děláš?

“

Kdo tam byl?

“

Viděl jsi něco zajímavého?

“

Kam se chystáš?

Sujets d'écriture

Write about your weekend plans.
Describe a place you have never been.
Write about a time nobody helped you.
Reflect on a situation where you knew nothing.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct negative verb.

Nikdo ___ (know).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: neví
The verb must be negated.
Choose the correct sentence. Choix multiple

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nikdo neví.
Standard negation.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Já nic dělám.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Já nic nedělám.
Verb must be negated.
Order the words. Sentence Building

nejdu / nikam / já

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Já nikam nejdu.
Standard word order.
Match the pronoun to its negative. Match Pairs

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nikdo
Kdo is who, Nikdo is nobody.
Which is correct? Choix multiple

Nikdy ___ tam.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nejdu
Verb must be negated.
Fill in the blank.

Nic ___ (see).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nevidím
Verb must be negated.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Nikdo mi volal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nikdo mi nevolal.
Past tense negation.

Score: /8

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Fill in the correct negative verb.

Nikdo ___ (know).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: neví
The verb must be negated.
Choose the correct sentence. Choix multiple

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nikdo neví.
Standard negation.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Já nic dělám.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Já nic nedělám.
Verb must be negated.
Order the words. Sentence Building

nejdu / nikam / já

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Já nikam nejdu.
Standard word order.
Match the pronoun to its negative. Match Pairs

Kdo -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nikdo
Kdo is who, Nikdo is nobody.
Which is correct? Choix multiple

Nikdy ___ tam.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nejdu
Verb must be negated.
Fill in the blank.

Nic ___ (see).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nevidím
Verb must be negated.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Nikdo mi volal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nikdo mi nevolal.
Past tense negation.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

It's not a double negative; it's negative harmony. It's just how Czech grammar works.

No, never in standard Czech.

No, it's just the standard way to say 'no'.

Yes, all verbs in all tenses.

You will sound like you are speaking a different language or making a mistake.

Yes, Slavic languages share this feature.

Nemám žádné peníze.

Yes, whenever you mean 'nothing' or 'not anything'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish high

No veo a nadie.

The structure is nearly identical.

French high

Je ne vois personne.

French often drops the 'ne' in speech, but Czech never does.

German moderate

Ich sehe niemanden.

German does not use negative concord.

Japanese moderate

Dare mo mimasen.

The particle 'mo' acts as the negative trigger.

Arabic moderate

La ara ahadan.

Arabic uses 'anyone' rather than 'nobody'.

Chinese partial

Wo shenme dou mei kanjian.

Chinese uses 'anything' in the negative.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
The Prefix 'ne-' for Verbs

Related Grammar Rules

A1

The Prefix 'ne-' for Verbs
A0

Negative 'Být' (Nejsem)
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