Не before the verb: the general rule
Ten minutes of the grammar lesson's own general rule: не sits directly before the conjugated verb, with nothing in between and no auxiliary to insert - the same verb form, just with не attached in front of it. Build three sentences negating a plain verb, then choose and translate your way through the pattern before hearing the grammar lesson's own first example said aloud.
The part of the grammar page this lesson drills — read it here, then use it.
не + verb - the general rule
Не is unstressed and always sits immediately before the verb it negates, never separated from it by another word. Не гледам телевизију. (I don't watch television.) - see present-tense-regular-verbs-a1.
Negative pronouns and adverbs require double negation
Serbian has a full set of negative pronouns and adverbs (see the table below). Whenever one appears in a sentence, the verb still needs its own не (or the fused нисам/нема) - dropping it is wrong even though the sentence already has a negative word.
Нико не зна literally reads "Nobody doesn't know," but means simply "Nobody knows." This double marking is required, not optional, however many negative words the sentence has: Никад никог нигде не видим. (I never see anyone anywhere.) stacks three negatives plus не, and that's entirely normal, correct Serbian.
| Word | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| niko | nobody | Niko ne zna. |
| ništa | nothing | Nemam ništa. |
| nikad(a) | never | Nikad ne kasnim. |
| nigde | nowhere | On nije nigde. |
| nijedan/nijedna/nijedno | not a single one | Nijedan student ne dolazi. |