N't in different languages

N't in Different Languages

Discover 'N't' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The humble word 'n't' might seem insignificant, but it carries a lot of weight in the English language. It's a negation particle, used to form negative sentences, and it's an essential part of our daily communication. But have you ever wondered how 'n't' is translated in different languages? The cultural importance of language goes beyond simple communication - it shapes our identity, traditions, and worldview.

For instance, in Spanish, 'no' is used as a negation particle, similar to 'n't'. In French, 'ne' and 'pas' are used together to form a negative sentence, while in German, 'nicht' is the equivalent of 'n't'. Understanding these translations can provide valuable insights into different cultures and their ways of expressing negation.

So, why should you care about the translations of 'n't' in different languages? Whether you're a language enthusiast, a traveler, or a business professional, knowing how to express negation in different languages can enhance your communication skills, foster cultural understanding, and even open up new opportunities.

N't


N't in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansnie
Afrikaans "nie" also means "never" or "not" and can function as an adjective or adverb.
Amharicእ.አ.አ.
The word "እ.አ.አ." (n't) can also mean "nothing" or "without" in Amharic.
Hausan't
In Hausa, "n't" may also refer to the verbal particle indicating the continuous aspect of a verb.
Igbon't
The Igbo word "n't" is a contraction of the Igbo words "na" and "eti," which mean "it is" or "it was."
Malagasytsy
The Malagasy particle "tsy" is also used to form adjectives and adverbs from verbs or nouns and to form the negative "no" when followed by a verb.
Nyanja (Chichewa)ayi
In Nyanja, the word 'ayi' can also be used as a particle to indicate the negative imperative or to mark an emphatic denial.
Shonakwete
Kwete, meaning "n't" in Shona, is cognate with "-kwe-," meaning "be like" or "resemble" in other Bantu languages.
Somalin't
In Somali, "n't" is derived from the negation particle "ma" and the suffix "-aan" indicating an infinitive form.
Sesothoche
"Che" also means "what" or "which," and can be used to form questions or emphasize certain words in a sentence.
Swahilihapana
Hapana in Swahili also refers to a negative connotation, as in ' hapana sawa', meaning 'not good'.
Xhosahayi
"Hayi" can be traced back to the Proto-Bantu word "-di" and is cognate with "hai" in IsiZulu and "hai" in Sesotho.
Yoruban't
In Yoruba, "n't" can also mean "not" or "never".
Zulucha
"Cha" (n't) can mean "no" when used with a negative, or "not yet" when used in a positive sense.
Bambarat'a la
Ewen't
Kinyarwandan't
Lingalan'te
Lugandasi bwe kiri
Sepedie sego
Twi (Akan)n'anyɛ saa

N't in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicلا
The word "لا" (lā) in Arabic is a negating particle that comes from the root "لَوْ" (law), which means "if" or "would that."
Hebrewלא
The word "לא" comes from the Akkadian word "lā", meaning "no" or "not".
Pashtoنه
The Pashto word "نه" ("n't") is also used as an emphatic particle in negative sentences.
Arabicلا
The word "لا" (lā) in Arabic is a negating particle that comes from the root "لَوْ" (law), which means "if" or "would that."

N't in Western European Languages

Albanianjo
The Albanian suffix "-jo" is borrowed from Ottoman Turkish "-yok", meaning "lacking"
Basqueez
The Basque word "ez" can also mean "no" or "not". This is not to be confused with the negator "ez da" or "ez du".
Catalannou testament
In Catalan, "Nou Testament" (n't) can also refer to the "National Tourist Council" (Consell Nacional de Turisme, CNT), highlighting the overlapping of religious and secular uses of the abbreviation.
Croatiannije
The word 'nije' in Croatian also means 'no' and is used as an independent response or to negate a question.
Danishikke
The Danish word "ikke" has the same root as the English word "not" and has a related meaning in German as "nicht."
Dutchn't
In Dutch, "n't" is a contraction of the negations "ne" and "niet".
Englishn't
The word "n't" is a contraction of the words "not" and "it" and can also be used as a standalone word meaning "no".
Frenchnt
The French abbreviation « NT » can also stand for « Nouvelle-Technologie », and for an old monetary unit called « Nouveau Tournois ».
Frisiann't
'Nt' is an abbreviation of 'neet', which means 'not' in Frisian.
Galiciannon
The Galician equivalent of English “n't” comes from an archaic form, 'non', of the present-tense ending 'non', which in turn derives from a Latin negative particle of the same name, and is found in other Galician words such as ‘nonada’ or ‘nonconformismo’.
Germannicht
German "nicht" shares its root with English "naught" but it also means "nothing".
Icelandicekki
The word "ekki" is often used in Icelandic to form negatives, but it can also mean "no longer" or "not yet."
Irishn't
The word "n't" in Irish has other meanings, including "there" and "that".
Italianno
The Italian word "no" can also mean "our" or "us".
Luxembourgishnet
In Luxembourgish the abbreviated negation n’t (not) is also a common abbreviation for the word "et“ meaning “and”.
Maltesemhux
"Mhux" is an abbreviated form of the word "mhix," which is derived from the Arabic word "mā hī," meaning "not she."
Norwegianikke
The word "ikke" in Norwegian is thought to have originated from the Old Norse word "ekki", meaning "not."
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)não
In Portuguese, "não" can also mean "not yet" or "no more", depending on the context.
Scots Gaelicn't
Scots Gaelic "n’t" can mean either "n't" or the verbal noun as a future or conditional form.
Spanishnuevo testamento
The term "Nuevo Testamento" refers not only to the Christian scriptures written after the life of Jesus but also to the period of time between his death and resurrection.
Swedishinte
The word 'inte' is derived from the Old Norse word 'at engi', meaning 'not any'.
Welshddim
The Welsh word "ddim" also means "nothing" and "not at all".

N't in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianне
The word "не" can also be used in Belarusian to express the imperative form of verbs.
Bosnianne
"Ne" in Bosnian can also mean "not," "don't," "didn't," or "won't."
Bulgarianне
In Bulgarian, "не" can also mean "no" or "not a".
Czechne
In Czech, like many other Slavic languages, the negation "ne" can come before or after the verb. "ne" can be stressed, indicating negation, or unstressed, which usually means the negation is not definitive.
Estonianei ole
The negative suffix '-ei' has another form '-ta', which is commonly used to denote a lack of a quality after an adjective, or a lack of an ability after a verb.
Finnishei
In the Savo dialect, 'ei' can also mean 'no' or 'stop', depending on context.
Hungariannem
The Hungarian word 'nem' can also be used to emphasize negative statements, similar to 'not at all' in English.
Latvian
"Nē" is a shortened form of the Latvian word "nav" meaning "not" used in colloquial speech.
Lithuanianne
The Lithuanian negative particle "ne" has no cognates in other Baltic languages, but it is cognate with Proto-Slavic *ne
Macedonianне
"Не" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *ne, meaning "no"
Polishnie
The Polish word "nie" can also be used as an exclamation to express surprise, indignation, or disbelief, or as a response to a negative question.
Romaniannu
The Romanian word "nu" can also mean "no," "not," or "negative."
Russianнет
нет (n’t) is also used to negate verbs in the present and future tense.
Serbianне
In Serbian, "не" can also mean "no" in addition to its use as the equivalent of English "n't".
Slovaknie
In Slovak, the word "nie" can also mean "no" or "not at all."
Slovenianne
The word "ne" in Slovenian comes from the Old Slavonic word "ne", which also means "no".
Ukrainianні
The word "ні" is also used as an interjection to express negative emotions, such as disappointment or anger.

N't in South Asian Languages

Bengaliনা
The word "না" (n't) in Bengali can also mean "not" or "no".
Gujaratiનથી
The word "નથી" can also mean "is not" or "are not" in Gujarati, depending on the context.
Hindiनहीं
नहीं, Hindi for "don't" or "won't" and often contracted with the following verb, originates from the Sanskrit word "na iha" meaning "not here."
Kannadaಇಲ್ಲ
"ಇಲ್ಲ" (n't) is also used as an emphatic adverb, expressing a strong negative assertion or denial.
Malayalamഇല്ല
The Malayalam word "ഇല്ല" can also mean "no" or "there is not".
Marathiनाही
The word "नाही" can also be used as a standalone interjection to express disagreement or denial.
Nepaliहोइन
In Nepali, 'होइन' ('hoin') is also used informally as a replacement for the word 'छ' ('chha') which means 'is'.
Punjabiਨਹੀਂ
In Punjabi, "ਨਹੀਂ" also means "don't" or "do not" and appears at the end of the respective verb.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)නැහැ
The word “නැහැ” (“n’t”) in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word “na asti”, meaning “not” or “does not exist”.
Tamilஇல்லை
The Tamil word 'இல்லை' is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *illa-, meaning 'not' or 'nonexistent'.
Teluguకాదు
"కాదు" is the Telugu word for "no" and it is also used as a suffix to verbs to indicate negation.
Urduنہیں
In Urdu, "نہیں" ("nahin") also means "no," "not," "never," and "don't."

N't in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
In Mandarin Chinese, the character "不" ('bù') can also mean 'un-' as in 'unusual' or 'not' as in 'not good'.
Chinese (Traditional)
In Chinese, "不" (Mandarin pronunciation: bu) can also mean "incorrect" or "bad".
Japaneseない
The word "ない" can also mean "not" or "lacking" in Japanese.
Korean아니
The Korean word "아니" (ani) can also mean "no" or "not" in certain contexts.
Mongolianүгүй
In Mongolian,
Myanmar (Burmese)မဟုတ်ဘူး

N't in South East Asian Languages

Indonesiantidak
The word "tidak" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *taq, which also means "not" in many other Austronesian languages.
Javaneseora
The word "ora" has two different forms, both with different meanings, one for negation and the other for a noun that means "time".
Khmerមិនមែនទេ
The word "មិនមែនទេ" can also mean "not at all" or "certainly not" when used in response to a question.
Laoບໍ່ແມ່ນ
The Lao word ບໍ່ແມ່ນ, pronounced "bo-mah-n", means "not" and it can also be translated as the English word "no". It is frequently used at the start of a sentence and is often combined with another negative meaning to give the phrase a stronger negative sense
Malaytidak
In Indonesian, "tidak" also means "no".
Thaiไม่ใช่
The word "ไม่ใช่" (n't) in Thai can also mean "it is not" or "is not".
Vietnamesen't
The word "n't" is a contraction of the words "not" and "it".
Filipino (Tagalog)hindi

N't in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniyox
The Azerbaijani word "yox" derives from the Arabic "lay" (ن), which is used as a negation in many languages including Turkish.
Kazakhжоқ
In Kazakh, "жоқ" can also mean "empty" or "unavailable".
Kyrgyzжок
The Kyrgyz word "жок" can also mean "without" or "lacking", as in "китап жок" ("without a book").
Tajikне
The Tajik word "не" can also mean "very", "just", or "quite".
Turkmenýok
Uzbekyo'q
"Yo'q" comes from the Persian word "na", which means "not."
Uyghurn't

N't in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianʻaʻole
'Aʻole' also means 'not' in Hawaiian, but it can also mean 'no' or 'none' depending on the context.
Maorikāo
The word “kāo” is an alternative for the emphatic negative “kahore”
Samoanleai
Leai is also the imperative form of the verb 'leai' ('to leave'), meaning 'leave it!' or 'let it be!'
Tagalog (Filipino)hindi
In Tagalog, 'hindi' can be an independent discourse marker or a clitic that functions as a negation marker.

N't in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajaniwa
Guaranindaha'éi

N't in International Languages

Esperantone
The Esperanto word "ne" (n't) is derived from the Slavic "ne" (no), and has several alternate meanings, including "not", "without", "non-", and "un-".
Latinnon
In Latin, "non" can also refer to a "ninth" or a "nun".

N't in Others Languages

Greekόχι
"Όχι" is the Greek word for "no" and is also used to form the negative of verbs.
Hmongtsis tau
"Tsis tau" or the shortened "tsis" is the negative of "tau" which means "to be" and can be considered equal to "not" in English.
Kurdishna
In Kurdish, "na" can refer to a negative particle, an exclamation, a conjunction, or a preposition.
Turkishhayır
The word "hayır" can also mean "no" in Turkish.
Xhosahayi
"Hayi" can be traced back to the Proto-Bantu word "-di" and is cognate with "hai" in IsiZulu and "hai" in Sesotho.
Yiddishנ'ט
In Yiddish, "נ'ט" (n't) is used as a contraction for the negative particle "נישט" (nisht), meaning "not".
Zulucha
"Cha" (n't) can mean "no" when used with a negative, or "not yet" when used in a positive sense.
Assamesen't
Aymarajaniwa
Bhojpuriना
Dhivehiނޫން
Dogriन न
Filipino (Tagalog)hindi
Guaranindaha'éi
Ilocanon't
Krionɔto so
Kurdish (Sorani)نەک
Maithiliनञि
Meiteilon (Manipuri)n't
Mizoa ni lo
Oromomiti
Odia (Oriya)n't ନୁହେଁ
Quechuamana
Sanskrit
Tatarюк
Tigrinyan't
Tsongaa hi swona

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