Negation with 'ikke'

01

After the Verb

In a main clause ikke comes straight after the verb that carries the tense. Norwegian needs no helper like the English "do".

• Hun er ikke lærer.

  She is not a teacher.

• Jeg drikker ikke kaffe.

  I don't drink coffee.

When a modal verb or har is followed by another verb, ikke stands between the two.

• Jeg kan ikke se deg.

  I can't see you.

• Jeg har ikke sett deg på ni år.

  I haven't seen you for nine years.

02

After the Subject When It Follows the Verb

In a question, or when the sentence starts with something other than the subject, the subject comes after the verb and ikke after the subject.

• Har du ikke jobb?

  Don't you have a job?

• I dag kommer jeg ikke.

  Today I am not coming.

03

Before the Verb in a Subordinate Clause

In a clause that starts with at (that), fordi (because), hvis (if) or a similar word, ikke moves in front of the verb.

• Jeg ringer fordi jeg ikke kommer i dag.

  I am calling because I am not coming today.

• Jeg bestod eksamen, selv om jeg ikke studerte.

  I passed the exam, even though I didn't study.

04

Short Pronouns Go First

A short object pronoun such as det, den or henne slips in front of ikke. A noun object stays after it.

• Jeg liker det ikke.

  I don't like it.

• Jeg kjenner henne ikke.

  I don't know her.

• Jeg liker ikke kaffe.

  I don't like coffee.

05

Commands

In a negative command, ikke comes first.

• Ikke vent for lenge.

  Don't wait too long.

• Ikke vær lat.

  Don't be lazy.

06

No and None: ingen and ikke noe

"No" in front of a noun is ingen. In everyday speech ikke noen is just as common, and before a neuter or uncountable noun ikke noe.

• Jeg har ingen venner.

  I have no friends.

• Det er ikke noe problem.

  It is no problem.

• Jeg drikker ikke noe øl.

  I don't drink any beer.

After a participle or an infinitive, only ikke noen or ikke noe is possible, because ikke has to come before that verb.

• Jeg har ikke sett noen.

  I haven't seen anyone.

07

Nothing and Never

ingenting means "nothing" and aldri means "never". aldri takes the same position as ikke.

• Det finnes ingenting det ikke kan gjøre.

  There is nothing it can't do.

• Jeg drikker aldri kaffe.

  I never drink coffee.

08

Short Answers

Norwegian answers often repeat the verb with det, and ikke follows the usual rules.

• Nei, det har jeg ikke.

  No, I don't.

• Jeg tror ikke det.

  I don't think so.