To say that something is not the case, Latin uses the little word non.
Can recognize Negation with non in a short Latin prompt
Podívejte se na tyto příklady. Dokážete rozpoznat gramatický vzorec?
Nobody knows this.
We cannot all do everything.
Zaměřte se na zvýrazněné části. Co mají společného?
To say that something is not the case, Latin uses the little word non. It is the everyday "not", and it is refreshingly simple: it does not change its form, and it normally sits directly in front of the word it denies - usually the verb.
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| Ambulo. - I am walking. | Non ambulo. - I am not walking. |
| Mārcus dormit. - Mārcus is sleeping. | Mārcus non dormit. - Mārcus is not sleeping. |
| Romani sunt. - They are Romans. | Romani non sunt. - They are not Romans. |
Placed before another word, nōn denies just that word: nōn hodie - not today; nōn magnus - not big.
For English speakers: the great convenience is that Latin needs no helper verb. English has to insert "do" to say "I do not walk", but Latin just puts nōn before the verb: nōn ambulo. So do not look for a Latin word for "do" - there is none. Two small notes: to answer "no" as a full reply, Romans more often repeat the verb in the negative (Venisne? Nōn venio. - Are you coming? I am not) rather than using a bare "no", and for negative commands ("Do not...") Latin uses noli plus the infinitive (noli plorare - do not cry), not nōn.
Použijte tuto gramatiku ve cvičeních kurzu A1
Procvičovací cvičeníNobody knows this.
Nemo is already negative, so non is not added. Standard English works the same way: 'nobody knows', not 'nobody doesn't know'.
We cannot all do everything.
Non stands directly before what it negates. In Vergil's line the position is the meaning.
Procvičit v kurzu
Použijte tuto gramatiku ve cvičeních kurzu A1