Turning a positive into a negative isn’t a great way to stay happy or motivated, but it’s an important skill when you’re learning a new language! Some of your first English lessons might be about expressing what you like and what you understand. But knowing how to express what you don’t like or what you don’t understand is equally important.
Turning a sentence into its negative form is called English negation, and it’s easier than you think. (After all, if you speak Spanish, French, Italian, or a number of other languages, you already know the word no!) Discover the most common negation words you’ll hear in English, how to change a sentence to express a negative thought, and how negation sounds in everyday English sentences that you can use in travel, at work, and during your education.
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No and other common English negation words
Sometimes, all you need to do is add one word to a sentence to make it negative. When you see or hear these words in English, you can already tell that the sentence is expressing a negative thought.
| Negation Word | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| no | noh | No. I don’t speak Chinese. |
| not | nawt | I’m not a musician. |
| none | nuhn | None of the children are sitting. |
| nor | nore | This shirt is neither black nor brown. |
| nothing | NUH-thing | There is nothing under the bed. |
| nowhere | NOH-ware | I have nowhere to go. |
| neither | NIE-thur (or NEE-thur) | She’s wearing neither socks nor shoes. |
| never | NEH-vuhr | I never eat meat. |
| no one | NOH won | No one is playing. |
| nobody | NOH-buh-dee | Nobody came to my party. |
Can’t and other common negation contractions in English
Another way to form negation in English is with English contractions (two words combined into one shortened word). These contractions in English are shorter, more casual ways to express a negative thought, and they can help you sound more like a native English speaker.
| Negation Word | Combined Words | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| aren’t | are + not | arnt | We aren’t coming. |
| can’t | can + not | cant | He can’t eat snacks before dinner. |
| couldn’t | could + not | CUH-dint | Joe couldn’t go to the party. |
| didn’t | did + not | DIH-dint | I didn’t catch the ball. |
| doesn’t | does + not | DUH-zint | He doesn’t have a hat. |
| don’t | do + not | dohnt | I don’t understand these words. |
| hadn’t | had + not | HAH-dint | She hadn’t arrived yet. |
| hasn’t | has + not | HAZ-int | My mother hasn’t heard the news. |
| haven’t | have + not | HAH-vint | I haven’t eaten sushi before. |
| isn’t | is + not | IZ-int | The coat you gave me isn’t mine. |
| shouldn’t | should + not | SHUH-dint | You shouldn’t pack a box like that. |
| weren’t | were + not | wernt | They weren’t the fastest team. |
| won’t | will + not | wohnt | I won’t play in the championship. |
| wouldn’t | would + not | WUH-dint | If we had a map, we wouldn’t be lost. |
You may also see the contraction can’t written as cannot. They mean the same thing, but cannot is a more formal way to say it, and can’t is more informal.
How to change sentences into negative sentences
The key to English negation is knowing where to put negative words so the sentence still makes sense. These are the most common ways to turn sentences into their negative forms, no matter what you’re trying to say.
Add not after helping and ability verbs
In most English sentences, all you need to do is add not after the helping verb. Also called auxiliary verbs, these verbs include all forms of be (is, am, are) and do (does, do), and they are paired with other action verbs in English.
Take a look at how the word not fits into English sentence structure to form negative sentences:
- The boy is driving.
- Negative: The boy is not driving.
- I do enjoy gardening.
- Negative: I do not enjoy gardening.
- There are enough chairs for everyone.
- Negative: There are not enough chairs for everyone.
You can do the same thing with ability verbs (also called modal verbs). These verbs include will, might, should, or can.
- Jorge will bring home a pizza.
- Negative: Jorge will not bring home a pizza.
- My friends might come to my house.
- Negative: My friends might not come to my house.
- The boss should give him a day off.
- Negative: The boss should not give him a day off.
- We can see the hospital.
- Negative: We cannot see the hospital.
Add do not before the verb have
In sentences with the auxiliary verb have, add do not before have.
- The women have rice.
- Negative: The women do not have rice.
- The boys have water.
- Negative: The boys do not have water.
- I have a new kitten.
- Negative: I do not have a new kitten.
If you’re using a third-person singular verb, you may need to change the conjugation as well.
- John likes working out at the gym
- Negative: John does not like working out at the gym.
- The cat sleeps on the big bed.
- Negative: The cat does not sleep on the big bed.
- She drives a white truck.
- Negative: She does not drive a white truck.
And if you’re changing a past-tense verb to its negative form, use the past tense of the negative word (usually did) and the present tense form of the action verb.
- I worked at the grocery store.
- Negative: I did not work at the grocery store.
- My family visited Arizona last year.
- Negative: My family did not work at the grocery store.
- Her dogs barked all night.
- Negative: Her dogs did not bark all night.
Replace a helping verb with a contraction
Another way to form English negation is to replace the helping verb (or ability verb) with a negative contraction. You’re basically combining the helping or ability verb with the word not.
- She knows his phone number.
- Negative: She doesn’t know his phone number.
- They live downtown.
- Negative: They don’t live downtown.
- I will be able to watch television tonight.
- Negative: I won’t be able to watch television tonight.
Change a noun to a negative word
You can also create a negative sentence by replacing the noun in a sentence with its negative version. These words are also called negative pronouns because they function as the noun in a sentence, just like other pronouns.
- No one in the office is celebrating.
- There is nothing in the sink. Everything is on the table.
- We never go skiing in the summer.
The negative words neither and nor usually appear together in a sentence. They show two negative choices, which are two things that didn’t happen or that aren’t true.
- He chose to wear neither the gray jacket nor the blue jacket.
- Neither the spoon nor the pot is in the sink.
Add negative prefixes and suffixes
Some sentences show English negation by adding prefixes or suffixes, small word parts that change a word’s meaning. Negative English prefixes appear at the beginning of a word, and can include un-, im-, and dis.
- It’s unusual to bring a briefcase to the beach. (It’s not usual to bring a briefcase to the beach.)
- This homework assignment is impossible to finish. (This homework assignment is not possible to finish.)
- The police officer disapproved of our behavior. (The police officer did not approve of our behavior.)
The most common negative English suffix is -less. It appears at the end of a word and changes the word’s meaning into its negative version.
- We bought a wireless printer for the office. (We bought a printer that has no wires for the office.)
- Why did you buy this worthless bicycle? (Why did you buy this bicycle that has no worth?)
Common English negation sentence examples
Hearing negation in English sentences is common in any conversation. But some negative English phrases are more common than others, and learning those phrases can help you understand the rest of the sentence more easily.
I don’t understand
This is an especially helpful phrase as you’re learning English! Saying that you don’t understand something tells a listener that they need to explain something more clearly.
- I don’t understand this sign. What does it mean?
- It means “The airport is on the right.”
- Excuse me, what time is it?
- I did not understand you. Can you repeat that, please?
- I didn’t understand what he said. What language is he speaking?
- He’s speaking Spanish.
I don’t like
You’ll hear the phrase I don’t like when people are talking about themselves. These are called dislikes (things you don’t like), and they’re just as common as things people like!
- I don’t like hiking. I’m bored.
- The girl doesn’t like to play soccer.
- I know that eating vegetables is important, but I don’t like them.
Don’t do that
Commands or requests are known as imperative sentences in English. When they start with the word don’t, someone is telling you not to do a certain action.
- Don’t carry the eggs like that.
- Don’t hold your backpack like that.
- Don’t touch that stove. It’s hot.
You may also hear the negative contraction shouldn’t in this context. These requests aren’t as strong as the sentences that include don’t, but they have the same meaning.
- You shouldn’t repair a bicycle like that.
- You shouldn’t eat that before dinner.
- He shouldn’t be cheating on his exam.
I don’t know
I don’t know is a very common phrase in English, even among native English speakers! Use it when someone asks you a question, and you don’t know the answer.
- Excuse me. Is this on sale?
- I don’t know. I will ask my manager.
- When will you arrive in New York?
- I don’t know. My flight is delayed again.
- How many oranges are on this tree?
- I don’t know, but I think there are at least fifty.
Answering No to a Yes or No question
The most common way to answer a Yes or No question in English is either Yes (if you’re answering positively) or No (if you’re answering negatively), no matter what question words in English are in the sentence. But you can also make a negative statement after saying No that explains more about your answer.
- Are you hungry?
- No. I’m not hungry.
- Can I walk to the restaurant?
- No, you can’t. It’s ten miles to the restaurant.
- Can you hear the television?
- No, I can’t hear the television. It’s not loud enough.
Sometimes when you give a No answer, the other person may ask Why not? You can provide the reason if you’d like to explain more.
- Do you want this T-shirt?
- No, I don’t want this T-shirt.
- Why not?
- Because it’s too big.
- Can we eat dinner outside?
- No. We can’t eat dinner outside.
- Why not?
- Because it’s going to rain.
Is ain’t proper English?
Ain’t is a common contraction in some English dialects, including Southern American dialects. It has the same meaning as isn’t or aren’t.
While the word ain’t is a real word, it’s not considered proper English in formal writing or speaking. You may hear it in more casual contexts, but you should use isn’t or aren’t in lessons, work, or other formal situations.
What is a double negative in English?
A double negative in English is a sentence that includes two negative words. It’s a common error for people learning English and for native English speakers.
If you use a double negative, all you need to do is change one of them and your sentence will be correct. For example:
- I don’t want no pizza.
- Correct: I don’t want any pizza.
- No one isn’t coming to school today.
- Correct: No one is coming to class today.
- My mom doesn’t buy me nothing.
- Correct: My mom doesn’t buy me anything.
- Also correct: My mom buys me nothing.
Key takeaways about English negation
English negation isn’t as complicated as it seems! All you need to remember are a few key details, and you’ll avoid those easy errors.
- English negation is when you turn a statement into the negative version of that statement.
- Common English negation words include no, not, nothing, and no one.
- You can also use English contractions like don’t, can’t, won’t, and shouldn’t to show negation.
- Create negation in English sentences by adding not before helping verbs or ability verbs, replacing verbs with negative contractions, or replacing nouns with negative pronouns.
- Avoid common negation errors in proper English, such as double negatives and using the word ain’t.
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