Negation (منفی کردن)

One prefix does everything

Persian has no helper verb like English "do not". Negation is a prefix on the verb itself: نـ (na-). Nothing else in the sentence changes.

• می‌روم (I go) → نمی‌روم (nemiravam) — I do not go.
• رفتم (I went) → نرفتم (naraftam) — I did not go.

Before می‌ the prefix is pronounced ne-, everywhere else na-.

Every tense

In the subjunctive and the imperative the prefix بـ disappears: بروم → نروم, برو → نرو.

Two verbs with their own negative

است / هستم becomes نیستم، نیستی، نیست، نیستیم، نیستید، نیستند, and دارم becomes ندارم. Neither takes می‌.

• او خسته نیست. — He is not tired.
• من ماشین ندارم. — I do not have a car.

Compound verbs

In a compound verb only the verb part carries the prefix:

• کار می‌کنم → کار نمی‌کنم — I do not work.
• تلفن زدم → تلفن نزدم — I did not phone.
• دوست دارم → دوست ندارم — I do not like it.

Double negation is required

Words built with هیچ need the verb in the negative as well:

• هیچ‌کس نیامد. — Nobody came.
• هیچ‌چیز نخوردم. — I ate nothing.
• هیچ‌وقت به شیراز نرفته‌ام. — I have never been to Shiraz.

With نه ... نه ... ("neither ... nor") the verb normally stays positive: نه چای می‌خورم نه قهوه. — I drink neither tea nor coffee.

نه is not a verb prefix

نه is the answer word "no", or "not" in a contrast: نه امروز، فردا. — Not today, tomorrow. It can never negate a verb by itself.

Watch out as an English speaker

• A verb is never negated with a separate word: ✗ من نه می‌خورم. / ✓ من نمی‌خورم.
• English drops the second negative, Persian keeps it: ✗ هیچ‌کس آمد. / ✓ هیچ‌کس نیامد.
• است has an irregular negative: ✗ او خسته نه است. / ✓ او خسته نیست.
• Keep the half-space: the standard spelling is نمی‌روم, not نمیروم.

Example dialogue

چرا چای نمی‌خوری؟ — Why aren't you drinking tea?
چای دوست ندارم. — I don't like tea.
قهوه چطور؟ — What about coffee?
قهوه هم نمی‌خورم. هیچ‌وقت نخورده‌ام. — I don't drink coffee either. I have never drunk it.