Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, is a beautiful and expressive language that shares linguistic roots with Hindi but uses the Persian-Arabic script. One of the fundamental aspects of mastering any language is understanding how to form and use negations. Negation in Urdu is essential for expressing denial, refusal, or the absence of something. This article will explore the rules and examples of negation in Urdu grammar, making it easier for English speakers to grasp this crucial aspect of the language.
Basic Negation Using “نہیں” (Nahin)
The most common way to negate a sentence in Urdu is by using the word “نہیں” (nahin), which directly translates to “no” or “not.” “Nahin” is typically placed before the verb to negate the action.
Examples:
1. وہ کھاتا ہے۔ (Woh khata hai.) – He eats.
– وہ نہیں کھاتا ہے۔ (Woh nahin khata hai.) – He does not eat.
2. میں جا رہی ہوں۔ (Main ja rahi hoon.) – I am going.
– میں نہیں جا رہی ہوں۔ (Main nahin ja rahi hoon.) – I am not going.
3. وہ کتاب پڑھتی ہے۔ (Woh kitaab parhti hai.) – She reads the book.
– وہ کتاب نہیں پڑھتی ہے۔ (Woh kitaab nahin parhti hai.) – She does not read the book.
In these examples, “نہیں” (nahin) is inserted before the verb to negate the action. This rule applies to both simple present and present continuous tenses.
Negation in Past Tense
Negating sentences in the past tense follows a similar structure. “نہیں” (nahin) is placed before the verb to indicate that the action did not occur.
Examples:
1. وہ گیا۔ (Woh gaya.) – He went.
– وہ نہیں گیا۔ (Woh nahin gaya.) – He did not go.
2. میں نے کھانا کھایا۔ (Main ne khana khaya.) – I ate food.
– میں نے کھانا نہیں کھایا۔ (Main ne khana nahin khaya.) – I did not eat food.
3. انہوں نے فلم دیکھی۔ (Unhon ne film dekhi.) – They watched the movie.
– انہوں نے فلم نہیں دیکھی۔ (Unhon ne film nahin dekhi.) – They did not watch the movie.
Here, “نہیں” (nahin) is used to negate actions that occurred in the past.
Negation in Future Tense
Negating sentences in the future tense involves the use of “نہیں” (nahin) before the verb, similar to present and past tenses.
Examples:
1. وہ جائے گا۔ (Woh jaye ga.) – He will go.
– وہ نہیں جائے گا۔ (Woh nahin jaye ga.) – He will not go.
2. میں پڑھوں گی۔ (Main parhoon gi.) – I will study.
– میں نہیں پڑھوں گی۔ (Main nahin parhoon gi.) – I will not study.
3. ہم کھیلیں گے۔ (Hum khelenge.) – We will play.
– ہم نہیں کھیلیں گے۔ (Hum nahin khelenge.) – We will not play.
Again, “نہیں” (nahin) is placed before the verb to negate the action in the future tense.
Negation with Compound Verbs
In Urdu, compound verbs are formed by combining a main verb with an auxiliary verb. To negate a sentence with a compound verb, “نہیں” (nahin) is placed before the main verb.
Examples:
1. وہ سو رہا ہے۔ (Woh so raha hai.) – He is sleeping.
– وہ نہیں سو رہا ہے۔ (Woh nahin so raha hai.) – He is not sleeping.
2. میں نے کام شروع کیا۔ (Main ne kaam shuru kiya.) – I started the work.
– میں نے کام شروع نہیں کیا۔ (Main ne kaam shuru nahin kiya.) – I did not start the work.
3. ہم نے سفر کیا۔ (Hum ne safar kiya.) – We traveled.
– ہم نے سفر نہیں کیا۔ (Hum ne safar nahin kiya.) – We did not travel.
In these examples, “نہیں” (nahin) precedes the main verb to negate the action.
Negation in Imperatives
Imperative sentences are used to give commands or make requests. In Urdu, negating an imperative involves the word “نہ” (na) instead of “نہیں” (nahin).
Examples:
1. جاؤ! (Jao!) – Go!
– نہ جاؤ! (Na jao!) – Do not go!
2. پڑھو! (Parho!) – Read!
– نہ پڑھو! (Na parho!) – Do not read!
3. کھاؤ! (Khao!) – Eat!
– نہ کھاؤ! (Na khao!) – Do not eat!
In imperative sentences, “نہ” (na) is used to negate the command or request.
Negative Interrogatives
Negative interrogatives are questions that imply a negation. In Urdu, these are formed by placing “کیا” (kya) at the beginning of the sentence, followed by “نہیں” (nahin) before the verb.
Examples:
1. کیا وہ آ رہا ہے؟ (Kya woh aa raha hai?) – Is he coming?
– کیا وہ نہیں آ رہا ہے؟ (Kya woh nahin aa raha hai?) – Is he not coming?
2. کیا تم نے کھانا کھایا؟ (Kya tum ne khana khaya?) – Did you eat food?
– کیا تم نے کھانا نہیں کھایا؟ (Kya tum ne khana nahin khaya?) – Did you not eat food?
3. کیا وہ جائیں گے؟ (Kya woh jayeinge?) – Will they go?
– کیا وہ نہیں جائیں گے؟ (Kya woh nahin jayeinge?) – Will they not go?
Here, the question word “کیا” (kya) is followed by “نہیں” (nahin) to form a negative interrogative.
Double Negation
In Urdu, double negation is generally avoided as it can create confusion. However, in certain dialects or informal speech, you might come across sentences with double negatives. It is important to note that double negatives are not considered grammatically correct in standard Urdu.
Examples:
1. میں کچھ نہیں کرتا۔ (Main kuch nahin karta.) – I do not do anything.
– Incorrect: میں کچھ بھی نہیں نہیں کرتا۔ (Main kuch bhi nahin nahin karta.) – I do not do anything (double negative).
2. وہ کہیں نہیں جاتا۔ (Woh kahin nahin jata.) – He does not go anywhere.
– Incorrect: وہ کہیں بھی نہیں نہیں جاتا۔ (Woh kahin bhi nahin nahin jata.) – He does not go anywhere (double negative).
Avoid using double negatives to maintain clarity and correctness in your sentences.
Negation with Pronouns
When negating sentences with pronouns, the placement of “نہیں” (nahin) remains the same, i.e., before the verb.
Examples:
1. میں کرتا ہوں۔ (Main karta hoon.) – I do.
– میں نہیں کرتا ہوں۔ (Main nahin karta hoon.) – I do not.
2. تم بولتے ہو۔ (Tum bolte ho.) – You speak.
– تم نہیں بولتے ہو۔ (Tum nahin bolte ho.) – You do not speak.
3. وہ سنتی ہے۔ (Woh sunti hai.) – She listens.
– وہ نہیں سنتی ہے۔ (Woh nahin sunti hai.) – She does not listen.
In these examples, “نہیں” (nahin) is placed before the verb to negate the action.
Negative Sentences with Adjectives
When negating sentences with adjectives, “نہیں” (nahin) is placed before the adjective to convey the negation.
Examples:
1. وہ خوبصورت ہے۔ (Woh khubsurat hai.) – She is beautiful.
– وہ خوبصورت نہیں ہے۔ (Woh khubsurat nahin hai.) – She is not beautiful.
2. یہ کتاب دلچسپ ہے۔ (Yeh kitaab dilchasp hai.) – This book is interesting.
– یہ کتاب دلچسپ نہیں ہے۔ (Yeh kitaab dilchasp nahin hai.) – This book is not interesting.
3. وہ امیر ہے۔ (Woh ameer hai.) – He is rich.
– وہ امیر نہیں ہے۔ (Woh ameer nahin hai.) – He is not rich.
In these examples, “نہیں” (nahin) precedes the adjective to negate the description.
Negative Conjunctions
Negative conjunctions are used to connect two negative clauses. In Urdu, the conjunction “نہ” (na) is often used for this purpose.
Examples:
1. وہ نہ آیا، نہ اس نے کال کی۔ (Woh na aaya, na us ne call ki.) – He neither came, nor did he call.
2. نہ میں جا رہا ہوں، نہ تم۔ (Na main ja raha hoon, na tum.) – Neither am I going, nor are you.
3. نہ وہ خوش ہے، نہ غمگین۔ (Na woh khush hai, na ghamgeen.) – He is neither happy, nor sad.
In these examples, “نہ” (na) is used to connect two negative clauses.
Negative Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences in Urdu often use “اگر” (agar) for “if” and “نہیں” (nahin) for negation. Negative conditional sentences negate the action based on a condition.
Examples:
1. اگر تم نہیں آؤ گے، تو میں نہیں جاؤں گا۔ (Agar tum nahin aoge, to main nahin jaoonga.) – If you do not come, then I will not go.
2. اگر وہ نہیں پڑھے گا، تو فیل ہو جائے گا۔ (Agar woh nahin parhega, to fail ho jayega.) – If he does not study, he will fail.
3. اگر ہم نہیں پہنچیں گے، تو میٹنگ نہیں ہو گی۔ (Agar hum nahin pahunchenge, to meeting nahin hogi.) – If we do not arrive, the meeting will not happen.
Here, “نہیں” (nahin) is used to negate the action based on the condition.
Advanced Negation Structures
Advanced negation structures involve more complex sentences, including those with multiple clauses or varying tenses. Understanding how to place “نہیں” (nahin) correctly in these sentences is crucial for fluency.
Examples:
1. جب تک وہ واپس نہیں آتا، ہم نہیں جائیں گے۔ (Jab tak woh wapas nahin aata, hum nahin jaenge.) – Until he returns, we will not go.
2. مجھے نہیں لگتا کہ وہ آئے گا۔ (Mujhe nahin lagta ke woh aayega.) – I do not think that he will come.
3. وہ کہتا ہے کہ وہ نہیں آیا تھا۔ (Woh kehta hai ke woh nahin aaya tha.) – He says that he did not come.
In these examples, “نہیں” (nahin) is used in complex structures to negate the actions correctly.
Common Mistakes and Tips
When learning to use negation in Urdu, it’s essential to be aware of common mistakes and follow some useful tips.
Common Mistakes:
1. Incorrect placement of “نہیں” (nahin).
– Incorrect: وہ کھاتا نہیں ہے۔ (Woh khata nahin hai.) – He not eats.
– Correct: وہ نہیں کھاتا ہے۔ (Woh nahin khata hai.) – He does not eat.
2. Using “نہیں” (nahin) in imperatives instead of “نہ” (na).
– Incorrect: نہیں جاؤ! (Nahin jao!) – Do not go!
– Correct: نہ جاؤ! (Na jao!) – Do not go!
3. Double negation.
– Incorrect: میں کچھ بھی نہیں نہیں کرتا۔ (Main kuch bhi nahin nahin karta.) – I do not do anything (double negative).
– Correct: میں کچھ نہیں کرتا۔ (Main kuch nahin karta.) – I do not do anything.
Tips:
1. Practice negating different types of sentences (simple, compound, complex) to become comfortable with the placement of “نہیں” (nahin).
2. Listen to native Urdu speakers and pay attention to how they use negation in conversation.
3. Practice writing sentences with negation and have them reviewed by a native speaker or language teacher.
Understanding and mastering negation in Urdu is a crucial step toward fluency. By familiarizing yourself with the rules and practicing regularly, you will be able to express denial, refusal, and absence accurately and effectively in Urdu. Whether you are negating actions, commands, or descriptions, the use of “نہیں” (nahin) and “نہ” (na) will become second nature with time and practice.
