Verb Negation

01

The Prefix نَ (na-)

It goes on the front of the verb, ahead of everything else.

• ⁧نَدارَم⁩

  nadâramnadâramndarm

  I do not have

• ⁧نَدیدَمَش⁩

  nadidamašnadidamashndydmš

  I did not see it

• ⁧نَخواندَم⁩

  naxândamnakhândamnxandm

  I did not read

02

Before می‌ (mi-) It Becomes نِ (ne-)

In the present tense, where the verb already begins with ⁧می‌⁩ (mi-), the vowel changes.

• ⁧نِمی‌بینَند⁩

  nemi-binandnemi-binandnmy-bynnd

  they do not see

• ⁧نِمی‌نوشَم⁩

  nemi-nušamnemi-nushamnmy-nvšm

  I do not drink

• ⁧نِمی‌تَوانَم⁩

  nemi-tavânamnemi-tavânamnmy-tvanm

  I cannot

• ⁧مَن مَعمولاً زیاد آبجُو نِمی‌نوشَم.⁩

  man maʿmulan ziyâd âbjo nemi-nušamman ma'mulan ziyâd âbjo nemi-nushammn mʿmvln zyyad abj nmy-nvšm

  I do not usually drink much beer.

• ⁧آن‌ها آن را نِمی‌بینَند.⁩

  ân-hâ ân râ nemi-binandân-hâ ân râ nemi-binandan-ha an ra nmy-bynnd

  They do not see it.

03

It Carries the Stress

The prefix is stressed, which is what makes a negative unmistakable in speech even when the rest of the sentence runs together.

04

In a Compound Verb

Where the verb is a noun plus a light verb, the prefix goes on the light verb - the part that inflects - and never on the noun.

• ⁧این‌طُور فِکر نِمی‌کُنَم.⁩

  in-ṭor fekr nemi-konamin-tor fekr nemi-konamayn-ṭr fkr nmy-knm

  I do not think so.

• ⁧بَعضی‌ها باوَر نِمی‌کُنَند.⁩

  baʿḍi-hâ bâvar nemi-konandba'zi-hâ bâvar nemi-konandbʿḍy-ha bavr nmy-knnd

  Some people do not believe it.

05

The Exception: 'To Be'

One verb does not take the prefix in the present tense. "To be" has its own negative word, ⁧⁧نیست⁩⁩ (nistnistnyst), which replaces ⁧⁧اَست⁩⁩ (ast) and ⁧⁧هَستَم⁩⁩ (hastamhastamhstm) outright.

• ⁧او مُعَلِّم نیست.⁩

  u moʿallem nistu mo'allem nistav mʿllm nyst

  She is not a teacher.

Everywhere else - in the past, in the subjunctive, in commands - even this verb falls back into line with ⁧نَ⁩ (na-).

• ⁧غَمگین نَباش.⁩

  ġamgin nabâšghamgin nabâshġmgyn nbaš

  Do not be sad.