Negation in Romanian: Basic Rules for English Speakers Learning Romanian

Understanding Negation in Romanian

Negation is an essential part of Romanian grammar that allows you to express the opposite of an affirmative statement. For English speakers learning Romanian, understanding how negation works is crucial for effective communication.

The Basic Negation Word: "nu"

In Romanian, the primary word used to negate a verb is "nu". It is placed directly before the verb to make the sentence negative. For example, the affirmative sentence "Eu merg" (I go) becomes "Eu nu merg" (I do not go) when negated.

Position of "nu" in a Sentence

The negation word "nu" always precedes the verb it negates. This is different from English, where "not" often follows an auxiliary verb. In Romanian, even if the verb is conjugated, "nu" comes before it.

Example:
Affirmative: El vorbește (He speaks)
Negative: El nu vorbește (He does not speak)

Negation with Compound Tenses

When using compound tenses like the perfect tense, "nu" still precedes the auxiliary verb "a avea" (to have). For example:

Affirmative: Eu am mâncat (I have eaten)
Negative: Eu nu am mâncat (I have not eaten)

Double Negation in Romanian

Romanian often uses double negation, which means that negation words appear more than once in a sentence. This is grammatically correct and common in Romanian, unlike in English where double negatives are usually avoided.

Example:
Nu văd nimic (I do not see anything) - literally "I do not see nothing".

Common Negative Words Used with "nu"

Besides "nu", Romanian uses several negative pronouns and adverbs that often appear in negative sentences. These include:

• nimic (nothing)
• nimeni (nobody)
• niciodată (never)
• niciun/ nicio (no, none)
• nici... nici... (neither... nor...)

These words usually require the presence of "nu" to form a correct negative sentence.

Examples of Negation with Negative Words

- Nu văd nimic. (I do not see anything.)
- Nu vine nimeni. (Nobody is coming.)
- Nu am fost niciodată acolo. (I have never been there.)

Negation in Questions

In negative questions, "nu" is still placed before the verb. For example:

- Nu vrei să vii? (Don't you want to come?)
- Nu ai înțeles? (Didn't you understand?)

Summary of Basic Negation Rules in Romanian

1. Use "nu" before the verb to negate it.
2. In compound tenses, place "nu" before the auxiliary verb.
3. Double negation is common and grammatically correct.
4. Negative pronouns and adverbs require "nu" to form negative sentences.
5. In negative questions, "nu" precedes the verb.