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
| Afrikaans | nie | ||
| Afrikaans "nie" also means "never" or "not" and can function as an adjective or adverb. | |||
| Amharic | እ.አ.አ. | ||
| The word "እ.አ.አ." (n't) can also mean "nothing" or "without" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | n't | ||
| In Hausa, "n't" may also refer to the verbal particle indicating the continuous aspect of a verb. | |||
| Igbo | n't | ||
| The Igbo word "n't" is a contraction of the Igbo words "na" and "eti," which mean "it is" or "it was." | |||
| Malagasy | tsy | ||
| 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. | |||
| Shona | kwete | ||
| Kwete, meaning "n't" in Shona, is cognate with "-kwe-," meaning "be like" or "resemble" in other Bantu languages. | |||
| Somali | n't | ||
| In Somali, "n't" is derived from the negation particle "ma" and the suffix "-aan" indicating an infinitive form. | |||
| Sesotho | che | ||
| "Che" also means "what" or "which," and can be used to form questions or emphasize certain words in a sentence. | |||
| Swahili | hapana | ||
| Hapana in Swahili also refers to a negative connotation, as in ' hapana sawa', meaning 'not good'. | |||
| Xhosa | hayi | ||
| "Hayi" can be traced back to the Proto-Bantu word "-di" and is cognate with "hai" in IsiZulu and "hai" in Sesotho. | |||
| Yoruba | n't | ||
| In Yoruba, "n't" can also mean "not" or "never". | |||
| Zulu | cha | ||
| "Cha" (n't) can mean "no" when used with a negative, or "not yet" when used in a positive sense. | |||
| Bambara | t'a la | ||
| Ewe | n't | ||
| Kinyarwanda | n't | ||
| Lingala | n'te | ||
| Luganda | si bwe kiri | ||
| Sepedi | e sego | ||
| Twi (Akan) | n'anyɛ saa | ||
N't in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | لا | ||
| The word "لا" (lā) in Arabic is a negating particle that comes from the root "لَوْ" (law), which means "if" or "would that." | |||
| Hebrew | לא | ||
| The word "לא" comes from the Akkadian word "lā", meaning "no" or "not". | |||
| Pashto | نه | ||
| The Pashto word "نه" ("n't") is also used as an emphatic particle in negative sentences. | |||
| Arabic | لا | ||
| 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
| Albanian | jo | ||
| The Albanian suffix "-jo" is borrowed from Ottoman Turkish "-yok", meaning "lacking" | |||
| Basque | ez | ||
| The Basque word "ez" can also mean "no" or "not". This is not to be confused with the negator "ez da" or "ez du". | |||
| Catalan | nou 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. | |||
| Croatian | nije | ||
| The word 'nije' in Croatian also means 'no' and is used as an independent response or to negate a question. | |||
| Danish | ikke | ||
| The Danish word "ikke" has the same root as the English word "not" and has a related meaning in German as "nicht." | |||
| Dutch | n't | ||
| In Dutch, "n't" is a contraction of the negations "ne" and "niet". | |||
| English | n'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". | |||
| French | nt | ||
| The French abbreviation « NT » can also stand for « Nouvelle-Technologie », and for an old monetary unit called « Nouveau Tournois ». | |||
| Frisian | n't | ||
| 'Nt' is an abbreviation of 'neet', which means 'not' in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | non | ||
| 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’. | |||
| German | nicht | ||
| German "nicht" shares its root with English "naught" but it also means "nothing". | |||
| Icelandic | ekki | ||
| The word "ekki" is often used in Icelandic to form negatives, but it can also mean "no longer" or "not yet." | |||
| Irish | n't | ||
| The word "n't" in Irish has other meanings, including "there" and "that". | |||
| Italian | no | ||
| The Italian word "no" can also mean "our" or "us". | |||
| Luxembourgish | net | ||
| In Luxembourgish the abbreviated negation n’t (not) is also a common abbreviation for the word "et“ meaning “and”. | |||
| Maltese | mhux | ||
| "Mhux" is an abbreviated form of the word "mhix," which is derived from the Arabic word "mā hī," meaning "not she." | |||
| Norwegian | ikke | ||
| 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 Gaelic | n't | ||
| Scots Gaelic "n’t" can mean either "n't" or the verbal noun as a future or conditional form. | |||
| Spanish | nuevo 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. | |||
| Swedish | inte | ||
| The word 'inte' is derived from the Old Norse word 'at engi', meaning 'not any'. | |||
| Welsh | ddim | ||
| The Welsh word "ddim" also means "nothing" and "not at all". | |||
N't in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | не | ||
| The word "не" can also be used in Belarusian to express the imperative form of verbs. | |||
| Bosnian | ne | ||
| "Ne" in Bosnian can also mean "not," "don't," "didn't," or "won't." | |||
| Bulgarian | не | ||
| In Bulgarian, "не" can also mean "no" or "not a". | |||
| Czech | ne | ||
| 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. | |||
| Estonian | ei 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. | |||
| Finnish | ei | ||
| In the Savo dialect, 'ei' can also mean 'no' or 'stop', depending on context. | |||
| Hungarian | nem | ||
| The Hungarian word 'nem' can also be used to emphasize negative statements, similar to 'not at all' in English. | |||
| Latvian | nē | ||
| "Nē" is a shortened form of the Latvian word "nav" meaning "not" used in colloquial speech. | |||
| Lithuanian | ne | ||
| The Lithuanian negative particle "ne" has no cognates in other Baltic languages, but it is cognate with Proto-Slavic *ne | |||
| Macedonian | не | ||
| "Не" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *ne, meaning "no" | |||
| Polish | nie | ||
| 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. | |||
| Romanian | nu | ||
| The Romanian word "nu" can also mean "no," "not," or "negative." | |||
| Russian | нет | ||
| нет (n’t) is also used to negate verbs in the present and future tense. | |||
| Serbian | не | ||
| In Serbian, "не" can also mean "no" in addition to its use as the equivalent of English "n't". | |||
| Slovak | nie | ||
| In Slovak, the word "nie" can also mean "no" or "not at all." | |||
| Slovenian | ne | ||
| The word "ne" in Slovenian comes from the Old Slavonic word "ne", which also means "no". | |||
| Ukrainian | ні | ||
| The word "ні" is also used as an interjection to express negative emotions, such as disappointment or anger. | |||
N't in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | না | ||
| The word "না" (n't) in Bengali can also mean "not" or "no". | |||
| Gujarati | નથી | ||
| The word "નથી" can also mean "is not" or "are not" in Gujarati, depending on the context. | |||
| Hindi | नहीं | ||
| 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." | |||
| Kannada | ಇಲ್ಲ | ||
| "ಇಲ್ಲ" (n't) is also used as an emphatic adverb, expressing a strong negative assertion or denial. | |||
| Malayalam | ഇല്ല | ||
| The Malayalam word "ഇല്ല" can also mean "no" or "there is not". | |||
| Marathi | नाही | ||
| The word "नाही" can also be used as a standalone interjection to express disagreement or denial. | |||
| Nepali | होइन | ||
| In Nepali, 'होइन' ('hoin') is also used informally as a replacement for the word 'छ' ('chha') which means 'is'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਹੀਂ | ||
| 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”. | |||
| Tamil | இல்லை | ||
| The Tamil word 'இல்லை' is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *illa-, meaning 'not' or 'nonexistent'. | |||
| Telugu | కాదు | ||
| "కాదు" is the Telugu word for "no" and it is also used as a suffix to verbs to indicate negation. | |||
| Urdu | نہیں | ||
| In Urdu, "نہیں" ("nahin") also means "no," "not," "never," and "don't." | |||
N't in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 不 | ||
| In Mandarin Chinese, the character "不" ('bù') can also mean 'un-' as in 'unusual' or 'not' as in 'not good'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 不 | ||
| 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. | |||
| Korean | 아니 | ||
| The Korean word "아니" (ani) can also mean "no" or "not" in certain contexts. | |||
| Mongolian | үгүй | ||
| In Mongolian, | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မဟုတ်ဘူး | ||
N't in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tidak | ||
| The word "tidak" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word *taq, which also means "not" in many other Austronesian languages. | |||
| Javanese | ora | ||
| The word "ora" has two different forms, both with different meanings, one for negation and the other for a noun that means "time". | |||
| Khmer | មិនមែនទេ | ||
| The word "មិនមែនទេ" can also mean "not at all" or "certainly not" when used in response to a question. | |||
| Lao | ບໍ່ແມ່ນ | ||
| 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 | |||
| Malay | tidak | ||
| In Indonesian, "tidak" also means "no". | |||
| Thai | ไม่ใช่ | ||
| The word "ไม่ใช่" (n't) in Thai can also mean "it is not" or "is not". | |||
| Vietnamese | n't | ||
| The word "n't" is a contraction of the words "not" and "it". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hindi | ||
N't in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yox | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "yox" derives from the Arabic "lay" (ن), which is used as a negation in many languages including Turkish. | |||
| Kazakh | жоқ | ||
| In Kazakh, "жоқ" can also mean "empty" or "unavailable". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жок | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жок" can also mean "without" or "lacking", as in "китап жок" ("without a book"). | |||
| Tajik | не | ||
| The Tajik word "не" can also mean "very", "just", or "quite". | |||
| Turkmen | ýok | ||
| Uzbek | yo'q | ||
| "Yo'q" comes from the Persian word "na", which means "not." | |||
| Uyghur | n't | ||
N't in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻaʻole | ||
| 'Aʻole' also means 'not' in Hawaiian, but it can also mean 'no' or 'none' depending on the context. | |||
| Maori | kāo | ||
| The word “kāo” is an alternative for the emphatic negative “kahore” | |||
| Samoan | leai | ||
| 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
| Aymara | janiwa | ||
| Guarani | ndaha'éi | ||
N't in International Languages
| Esperanto | ne | ||
| The Esperanto word "ne" (n't) is derived from the Slavic "ne" (no), and has several alternate meanings, including "not", "without", "non-", and "un-". | |||
| Latin | non | ||
| In Latin, "non" can also refer to a "ninth" or a "nun". | |||
N't in Others Languages
| Greek | όχι | ||
| "Όχι" is the Greek word for "no" and is also used to form the negative of verbs. | |||
| Hmong | tsis 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. | |||
| Kurdish | na | ||
| In Kurdish, "na" can refer to a negative particle, an exclamation, a conjunction, or a preposition. | |||
| Turkish | hayır | ||
| The word "hayır" can also mean "no" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | hayi | ||
| "Hayi" can be traced back to the Proto-Bantu word "-di" and is cognate with "hai" in IsiZulu and "hai" in Sesotho. | |||
| Yiddish | נ'ט | ||
| In Yiddish, "נ'ט" (n't) is used as a contraction for the negative particle "נישט" (nisht), meaning "not". | |||
| Zulu | cha | ||
| "Cha" (n't) can mean "no" when used with a negative, or "not yet" when used in a positive sense. | |||
| Assamese | n't | ||
| Aymara | janiwa | ||
| Bhojpuri | ना | ||
| Dhivehi | ނޫން | ||
| Dogri | न न | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hindi | ||
| Guarani | ndaha'éi | ||
| Ilocano | n't | ||
| Krio | nɔto so | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نەک | ||
| Maithili | नञि | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | n't | ||
| Mizo | a ni lo | ||
| Oromo | miti | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | n't ନୁହେଁ | ||
| Quechua | mana | ||
| Sanskrit | न | ||
| Tatar | юк | ||
| Tigrinya | n't | ||
| Tsonga | a hi swona | ||