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Watch and read: negation

Watch and / or read the explanation and examples on this part of Dutch grammar: negation. Also: learn how to practice Dutch grammar.
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Negation. In Dutch, there are two words for negation, “niet” and “geen”. For example, [DUTCH SPOKEN] Dat zeg ik niet. [DUTCH SPOKEN] Ik kan niet hardlopen. Berlijn is niet ver van Groningen. with “niet” And [DUTCH SPOKEN] Geen idee. [DUTCH SPOKEN] Voor ons is dat geen probleem. with “geen” “Geen” is followed by a noun like the English word “no.” [DUTCH SPOKEN] Geen probleem. [DUTCH SPOKEN] Geen idee. “Niet” is used in all of other situations like the English word “not.” [DUTCH SPOKEN] Berlijn is niet ver van Groningen. [DUTCH SPOKEN] Ik kan niet hardlopen. Ik houd niet van marathons. Here, you see some examples from the dialogues. With “niet”, [DUTCH SPOKEN] Ik kan niet zingen. Dat wil ik niet.
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Dat is niet nodig And “geen” followed by a noun. [DUTCH SPOKEN] Ze heeft geen baan. Ik heb nu geen tijd. [DUTCH SPOKEN] Geen probleem.

Watch the video about negation in Dutch and read the explanation below.

Negation

In Dutch there are two words you can use for negation: niet and geen.

Geen is followed by a noun, like the English word “no”.

Geen probleem, geen idee. No problem, no idea.

Niet is used in all other situations, like the English word “not”.

Berlijn is niet ver van Groningen. Berlin is not far from Groningen.
Ik kan niet hardlopen. I cannot run.

Practise with Quizlet

Would you like to practise Dutch grammar? Please visit our grammar section on negation on Quizlet (if you prefer Quizlet to open in a separate window, click the CTRL key while clicking the link).

Do you have any questions about Dutch grammar? Follow the links below for more information. Share your comments and questions in the discussion below.

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Introduction to Dutch

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