Verb Negation
Verb negation in Japanese uses two main forms: the casual ない form and the polite ません form. Formation depends on verb type (る-verbs, う-verbs, or irregular).
Casual: 〜ない
Polite: 〜ません
食べない / 食べません "don't eat"
行かない / 行きません "don't go"
Different formality
Same meaning
る-Verbs (Group 2)
Drop る, add ない/ません
Casual negative:
食べる → 食べない "don't eat"
見る → 見ない "don't see"
寝る → 寝ない "don't sleep"
起きる → 起きない "don't wake up"
Polite negative:
食べる → 食べません
見る → 見ません
寝る → 寝ません
Simple pattern
Drop る
Add negative ending
う-Verbs (Group 1)
Change to あ-form, add ない/ません
Casual negative:
書く → 書かない (kaku → kakanai)
読む → 読まない (yomu → yomanai)
話す → 話さない (hanasu → hanasanai)
待つ → 待たない (matsu → matanai)
死ぬ → 死なない (shinu → shinanai)
遊ぶ → 遊ばない (asobu → asobanai)
飲む → 飲まない (nomu → nomanai)
帰る → 帰らない (kaeru → kaeranai)
泳ぐ → 泳がない (oyogu → oyoganai)
買う → 買わない (kau → kawanai)
Polite negative:
書く → 書きません
読む → 読みません
話す → 話しません
Change to あ-row
Add ない/ません
Irregular Verbs
Special forms
する → しない / しません
"do" → "don't do"
来る (くる) → 来ない (こない) / 来ません (きません)
"come" → "don't come"
Only two irregular
Memorize these
Special Case: ある
Existence verb
ある → ない
"exist/have" → "don't exist/don't have"
NOT あらない
Unique irregular
Very common
お金がない "have no money"
時間がない "have no time"
Past Negative
Didn't do
Casual past:
食べなかった "didn't eat"
行かなかった "didn't go"
しなかった "didn't do"
Polite past:
食べませんでした "didn't eat"
行きませんでした "didn't go"
しませんでした "didn't do"
なかった = casual past
ませんでした = polite past
ない Conjugation
Functions as い-adjective
ない conjugates like い-adjective:
Present: 行かない
Past: 行かなかった
Te-form: 行かなくて
Conditional: 行かなければ
Adverb: 行かなく
Not a verb conjugation
Adjectival pattern
Important for further conjugation
Negative Te-Form
Don't do (and...)
ないで form:
食べないで "without eating / don't eat"
行かないで "without going / don't go"
なくて form:
高くなくて "not expensive and..."
面白くなくて "not interesting, so..."
Different functions
ないで = without/prohibition
なくて = connector/reason
Negative Requests
Please don't
食べないでください
"Please don't eat"
行かないでください
"Please don't go"
触らないでください
"Please don't touch"
Polite prohibition
Common pattern
Respectful request
Negative Potential
Cannot
食べられない "cannot eat"
行けない "cannot go"
見られない "cannot see"
できない "cannot do"
Negative of potential form
Expressing inability
Very common
Negative Volitional
Won't / don't intend to
Less common pattern:
行くまい "won't go"
するまい "won't do"
Literary/formal
Not everyday speech
Classical flavor
Casual Negative Questions
Won't you?
行かない？
"Won't you go?" / "Aren't you going?"
食べない？
"Won't you eat?" / "Aren't you eating?"
Casual invitation
Checking plans
Common in conversation
Polite Negative Questions
Invitation form
行きませんか
"Won't you go?" / "Would you like to go?"
一緒に食べませんか
"Won't you eat together?" / "Would you like to eat together?"
Polite invitation
Softer than positive
Standard courtesy
Negative Commands
Don't! (rough)
食べるな "Don't eat!"
行くな "Don't go!"
するな "Don't do!"
Very casual/rough
Masculine
Use with care
Softer: 食べないで "Don't eat"
With Desire 〜たい
Don't want to
食べたくない "don't want to eat"
行きたくない "don't want to go"
見たくない "don't want to see"
Negative of desire
Common expression
Personal wishes
Emphatic Negation
Absolutely not
全然食べない "don't eat at all"
全く分からない "don't understand at all"
決して行かない "never go"
絶対にしない "absolutely won't do"
Strong denial
Emphasis added
Common intensifiers
Negative Adverbs
Nothing, nobody
何も食べない "eat nothing"
誰も来ない "nobody comes"
どこにも行かない "go nowhere"
Negative adverbs require ない
Must pair together
Complete expression
Negating Compounds
Compound verbs
食べ始める → 食べ始めない
"begin eating" → "don't begin eating"
読み終わる → 読み終わらない
"finish reading" → "don't finish reading"
Negate the second verb
Regular pattern
Double Negative
Not... not
行かないわけではない
"It's not that (I) won't go"
食べないことはない
"It's not that (I) don't eat"
Softening
Indirect expression
Weak affirmative
Negative Conditional
If not
行かなければ "if don't go"
しなければ "if don't do"
食べなければ "if don't eat"
Negative condition
"Must" when combined
なければならない = must
Formality Mixing
Casual conversation in polite
Can mix in conversation:
基本的には食べないんですが...
"Basically don't eat, but..."
んです adds explanation
Casual negative + polite copula
Natural speech
Regional Variations
Dialect differences
Standard: 食べない
Kansai: 食べへん
Western: 食べん
Different regions
Different negative forms
Standard most widely understood
Written vs Spoken
Style differences
Written often uses:
食べない (plain form)
食べません (polite)
Spoken may use:
食べないよ (with particle)
食べませんね (with tag)
Context particles common
Natural conversation
Common Mistakes
❌ Wrong stem
✗ 食べるない
✓ Correct stem
✓ 食べない
❌ Using あらない
✗ あらない
✓ Irregular form
✓ ない
❌ Confusing ないで and なくて
Different uses
✓ Learn distinctions
ないで = without/don't
なくて = not...and/because
❌ Wrong past form
✗ 食べないでした
✓ Correct past
✓ 食べなかった / 食べませんでした
Master formation
Know verb types
Practice conjugation
Practical Examples
Daily negation
今日は働かない
"Don't work today"
朝ごはんを食べませんでした
"Didn't eat breakfast"
テレビを見ない
"Don't watch TV"
日本語が分からない
"Don't understand Japanese"
お酒を飲まない
"Don't drink alcohol"
まだ決めていない
"Haven't decided yet"
彼は来なかった
"He didn't come"
宿題をしなかった
"Didn't do homework"
そんなこと言わないで
"Don't say such things"
全然眠くない
"Not sleepy at all"
Common expressions
Everyday usage
Natural contexts
Essential patterns
Real conversation