Japanese with Manga

Negation with

Grammar: Negation » 〜ない

〜ない negates:

  • Verb: 行(い)かない “not go”
  • Adjective: 高(たか)くない “not expensive”
  • Noun: 学生(がくせい)じゃない “not a student”

It conjugates like an い-adjective, with the past as なかった and て-form as なくて. Rough speech bends it to ねえ.

Usage Notes

Godan verbs shift the final syllable to the あ row and add ない (読(よ)む → 読(よ)まない), with う-ending verbs inserting わ (買(か)う → 買(か)わない). Ichidan verbs replace る with ない. The negative of ある is simply ない.

Formation

  1. Godan verb (あ-row) ＋ ない
    • 彼(かれ)は何(なに)も言(い)わない
    • "He doesn't say anything."
    • Note: Verbs ending in う insert わ before ない.
  2. Ichidan verb ＋ ない
    • 朝(あさ)ご飯(はん)を食(た)べない
    • "I don't eat breakfast."
  3. する → しない、来(く)る → 来(こ)ない
    • 誰(だれ)も来(こ)ない
    • "Nobody is coming."
  4. い-adjective ＋ くない
    • この本(ほん)は高(たか)くない
    • "This book isn't expensive."
  5. Noun / な-adjective ＋ じゃない・ではない
    • 夢(ゆめ)じゃない
    • "It's not a dream."
  6. 〜なかった (past)
    • 昨日(きのう)は何(なに)も食(た)べなかった
    • "I didn't eat anything yesterday."
  7. ない → ねえ (rough speech)
    • そんなこと知(し)らねえよ
    • "I don't know anything about that."

Common Uses

Plain Denial

The negative for facts and refusals.

Manga panel from 骨ドラゴンのマナ娘 showing example of Don't take your focus off the lynx with 気が散る.
骨ドラゴンのマナ娘 » Volume 1 » Page 85

In order to make money to survive and continue her path of becoming a mage, Eve takes on a request to defeat a fanged lynx that has been attacking a merchant in the forest. She attempts to use her new magick staff against the beast, but no magick materializes from it.

イブ:
「魔女(まじょ)なのに　魔法(まほう)出(で)ない」
“Even though I'm a mage, magick won't come out.”
ネム:
「こら　気(き)を散(ち)らすな」
“Hey now, don't lose focus!”
View Full Example

An Invitation in Disguise

A negative question offers rather than denies.

Manga panel from アオハライド showing example of Shall we go see a movie with 観る.
アオハライド » Volume 12 » Page 42

After talking with her boyfriend in the hall, Futaba returns to her classroom and walks over to her friends.

双葉(ふたば):
「この映画(えいが)一緒(いっしょ)に観(み)に行(い)かない？」
“How about going to see this movie?”
悠里(ゆうり):
「え　どの映画(えいが)？」
“Oh, which movie?”
View Full Example

Rough ねえ

Tough characters flatten ない into ねえ (or ねー) across the board. Don’t confuse this with an extended sentence-ending ね, which is used to seek agreement.

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