To say that something is not the case, Latin uses the little word non.
Can recognize Negation with non in a short Latin prompt
Подивіться на ці приклади. Чи можете ви помітити граматичну закономірність?
Nobody knows this.
We cannot all do everything.
Зверніть увагу на виділені частини. Що у них спільного?
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.
Застосуйте цю граматику у вправах курсу A1
Вправи для практикиNobody 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.
Практикувати в курсі
Застосуйте цю граматику у вправах курсу A1