Easy Learning Italian Grammar (2011)
NEGATIVES
2. Other negative phrases
In English you only use one negative word in a sentence: I haven’t ever seen him. In Italian you use non followed by another negative word such as niente(meaning nothing), or mai (meaning never).
Non succede mai. |
It never happens. |
Non ha detto niente. |
She didn’t say anything. |
The following are the most common phrases of this kind.
non … mai |
never or not ever |
Non la vedo mai. |
I never see her. |
Tip
you put mai between the two parts of the perfect tense.
Non l’ho mai vista. |
I’ve never seen her. |
|
Non ci siamo mai stati. |
We’ve never been there. |
|
non … niente |
nothing or not …anything |
|
Non hanno fatto niente. |
They didn’t do anything. |
|
non … nessuno |
nobody or not … anybody |
|
Non ho visto nessuno. |
I didn’t see anybody. |
|
non … da nessuna parte |
nowhere or not … anywhere |
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Non riuscivo a trovarlo da nessuna parte. |
I couldn’t find it anywhere. |
|
non … nessuno/nessuna + noun |
no or not … any |
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Non c’è nessun bisogno di andare. |
There’s no need to go. or |
|
non … più |
no longer or not … any more |
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Non escono più insieme. |
They’re not going out together any more. |
|
non …né … né … |
neither … nor |
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Non verranno né Chiara né Donatella. |
Neither Chiara nor Donatella are coming. |
|
If you begin a sentence with a negative word such as nessuno or niente, do not use non with the verb that comes after it.
Nessuno è venuto. |
Nobody came. |
Niente è cambiato. |
Nothing has changed. |
BUT |
|
Non è venuto nessuno. |
|
Non è cambiato niente. |
In Italian you can have more than one negative word following a negative verb.
Non fanno mai niente. |
They never do anything. |
Non si confida mai con nessuno. |
He never confides in anyone. |
As in English, negative words can be used on their own to answer a question.
Cos’hai comprato? – Niente. |
What did you buy? – Nothing. |
Chi ti accompagna? – Nessuno. |
Who’s going with you? – Nobody. |
Key points
To make a verb negative put non in front of it.
Unlike English, in Italian it is good grammar to follow non with another negative word.