Romanian usually makes a finite verb phrase negative with nu: Vorbesc română. (I speak Romanian.) becomes Nu vorbesc română. (I do not speak Romanian.) The particle nu normally negates the verb phrase, while the subject and other constituents keep their own positions.
Where does nu go in a simple sentence?
In a simple finite verb form, put nu immediately before the verb. A subject can come before that group, or it can be left unspoken when the verb ending already identifies it.
| Positive | Negative | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunt acasă. (I am at home.) | Nu sunt acasă. (I am not at home.) | nu comes before sunt |
| Maria lucrează. (Maria works.) | Maria nu lucrează. (Maria does not work.) | the subject stays before the negative verb |
| Învăț română. (I study Romanian.) | Nu învăț română. (I do not study Romanian.) | the subject is understood from învăț |
With a fi, the negative form is still nu plus the finite form: Nu este aici. (He, she, or it is not here.) See the present tense of a fi for the full affirmative paradigm.
How does nu work in a compound verb group?
In a compound group, put nu before the finite auxiliary or other finite verbal element. Do not put it before the participle or bare verb just because that is where English puts not.
| Verb group | Negative Romanian | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| simple present | Nu citesc cartea. (I do not read the book.) | nu + finite verb |
| compound perfect | Nu am citit cartea. (I did not read the book.) | nu + am + participle |
| future with voi | Nu voi pleca mâine. (I will not leave tomorrow.) | nu + finite auxiliary + bare verb |
| present subjunctive | Vreau să nu plece. (I want him or her not to leave.) | să + nu + verb |
- In Nu am înțeles întrebarea, nu belongs before the finite auxiliary am; înțeles is the participle.
- In Nu voi răspunde acum, nu belongs before voi; răspunde is the bare verb after the future auxiliary.
- When să introduces the subjunctive, nu follows să: Este bine să nu întârzii. (It is good not to be late.) See the present subjunctive for the wider construction.
Where do clitics go with nu?
An unstressed object or indirect-object pronoun, called a clitic, normally stays in its construction-specific position after nu. In the common patterns below, nu comes before the clitic and the finite verb or auxiliary.
| Pattern | Romanian | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| simple finite verb + direct-object clitic | Nu îl văd. (I do not see him.) | nu + îl + văd |
| compound group + indirect-object clitic | Nu mi-a răspuns. (He or she did not answer me.) | nu + mi + a + participle |
| compound group + feminine direct-object clitic | Nu am văzut-o. (I did not see her.) | nu is before am; o follows the participle |
The clitic pattern matters: do not force every pronoun into one fixed slot. Full forms such as Nu îl văd are clear neutral choices. In common speech and writing, some combinations contract, for example nu-l văd; the contraction keeps the same negative order.
Can nu contrast one constituent?
Yes. The basic pattern Maria nu vine negates the predicate: Maria is not coming. In a correction or contrast, nu can instead come directly before the constituent being rejected, often with ci introducing the replacement.
| Use | Romanian | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| predicate negation | Maria nu vine. | Maria is not coming. |
| subject contrast | Nu Maria vine, ci Elena. | It is not Maria who is coming, but Elena. |
| time contrast | Nu mâine plec, ci vineri. | I am leaving not tomorrow, but on Friday. |
Constituent contrast is a context-driven choice, not a replacement for ordinary verb negation. If the whole event is negative, use nu with the finite verb: Maria nu vine. If one part is corrected, place nu before that part and make the contrast clear: Nu Maria vine, ci Elena.
How do short answers and negative words work?
A short answer to a yes-no question can be just Da (Yes) or Nu (No). When the answer needs to be explicit, repeat the negative clause: Vii mâine? — Nu, nu vin. (Are you coming tomorrow? — No, I am not.) A short Nu depends on the question and does not show which part of the proposition is being rejected.
- Romanian normally keeps nu with a negative word: Nu văd nimic. (I do not see anything.) and Nu vine nimeni. (Nobody is coming.) This is negative concord, so the forms express one negative meaning rather than cancelling each other; see Romanian negative concord.
- A negative word can be fronted for focus while nu stays before the finite verb: Nimeni nu vine. (Nobody is coming.) The fronted word does not license dropping nu.
- Do not confuse negative concord with constituent contrast. In Nu Maria vine, ci Elena, nu rejects one constituent and ci supplies a correction; this is not a pair of negative words that cancel.
Which special forms should you recognize?
The central rule covers finite verb forms, but a few constructions have their own visible marker or form. Treat these as extensions of the same negative meaning, not as reasons to move nu randomly.
| Construction | Negative form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | a nu uita (not to forget) | nu follows infinitive marker a |
| negative second-person singular command | Nu pleca! (Do not leave!) | the negative command uses the infinitive-like form; see negative commands |
| short negative reply | — Nu. (— No.) | the missing verb is understood from context |
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not write am nu citit or voi nu pleca. Put nu before the finite auxiliary: Nu am citit and Nu voi pleca.
- Do not put nu after a clitic in the common pattern: use Nu îl văd and Nu mi-a răspuns.
- Do not remove nu from Nu văd nimic or Nu vine nimeni. Romanian negative concord normally needs the particle together with the negative word.
- Do not use constituent contrast as the default sentence pattern. Nu Maria vine, ci Elena means that Maria is rejected as the subject; Maria nu vine simply negates Maria’s coming.
- Do not treat Nu pleca! as an ordinary present-tense statement. It is the special negative command pattern, covered separately in negative commands.
Make Lucrez azi. negative.
- Lucrez nu azi.
- Nu lucrez azi.
- Azi lucrez nu.
- Nu azi lucrez.
In a simple finite verb group, nu comes immediately before the verb: nu lucrez.
Which sentence has nu before a clitic and the finite auxiliary in a compound group?
- Mi-a nu răspuns.
- Nu a mi răspuns.
- Nu mi-a răspuns.
- Nu răspuns mi-a.
The common order is nu + clitic + auxiliary + participle: Nu mi-a răspuns.
Which is a natural explicit negative reply to Vii mâine? (Are you coming tomorrow?)
- Da.
- Nimic.
- Vin.
- Nu, nu vin.
The reply starts with Nu and repeats the negative finite clause: Nu, nu vin (No, I am not coming).
Which sentence rejects Maria as the subject and corrects her with Elena?
- Nu Maria vine, ci Elena.
- Maria nu vine.
- Maria vine, nu Elena.
- Nu mâine plec, ci vineri.
Nu Maria vine, ci Elena places nu before the rejected subject and uses ci for the replacement. Maria nu vine negates the predicate, Maria vine, nu Elena gives the opposite subject contrast, and the final option contrasts times.
What does Nu văd nimic. mean?
- I see something.
- I do not see anything.
- I do not see nobody.
- I will see nothing later.
Romanian uses negative concord: nu and nimic express one negative meaning, so the natural English translation is “I do not see anything.”