Negation: না (after verb), নি (past), নেই (non-existence)
Can handle negation: না (after verb), নি (past), নেই (non-existence)
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
আমি জানি না।
I don't know.
ঘরে কেউ নেই।
Nobody is home.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Bengali puts its negative word after the verb - the opposite of English "not". There are three to know:
| Word | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| না na | present and future | আমি জানি না। ami jani na - I don't know. |
| নি ni | past | আমি যাইনি। ami jaini - I didn't go. |
| নেই nei | "there isn't", "don't have" | সময় নেই। shomoy nei - There's no time. |
English negates with a helper verb ("do not", "did not"); Bengali needs no helper, just the right negative word at the end. And "no" as an answer is also না: চা খাবেন? - না, ধন্যবাদ। (Would you like tea? - No, thank you.)
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Practice ExercisesCommon error for Negation
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আমি জানি না।
I don't know.
না goes AFTER verb.
ঘরে কেউ নেই।
Nobody is home.
নেই = non-existence.
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