Irish Negation
Learning the Irish Negation is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you practice the subject, the closer you get to mastering the Irish language. But first we need to know what the role of Negation is in the structure of the grammar in Irish.
Irish negation is the process that turns an affirmative statement (I am happy) into its opposite denial (I am not happy). Here are some examples:
| English Negation | Irish Negation |
| Negation | Diúltú a |
| he is not here | Níl sé anseo |
| that is not my book | Ní hé seo mo leabhar |
| do not enter | Nil cead isteach/Ná tar isteach |
As you can see from the example above, the structure of the Negation in Irish has a logical pattern. Locate the Negation above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in Gaelic.
List of Negation in Irish
Below is a list of the Negation and negative expressions in Irish placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Irish vocabulary.
| English Negation | Irish Negation |
| I don't speak | I don't speak German = Ní labhraím Gearmáinis |
| I don't write | Ní féidir liom scríobh |
| I don't drive | Ní thiomáinim |
| I don't love | Níl grá agam do |
| I don't give | Ní thugaim |
| I don't smile | NÍl aoibh orm |
| I don't take | Ní ghlacaim |
| |
| he doesn't speak | Ní labhraíonn sé |
| he doesn't write | Ní scríobhann sé |
| he doesn't drive | Ní thiomáineann sé |
| he doesn't love | Níl grá aige do |
| he doesn't give | Ní thugann sé |
| he doesn't smile | Níl sé ag meangadh |
| he doesn't take | Ní thógann sé / Ní ghlacann sé |
| |
| we don't speak | Ní labhraímid |
| we don't write | Ní scríobhaimid |
| we don't drive | Ní thiomáinimid |
| we don't love | Níl grá againn do/ |
| we don't give | Ní thugaimid |
| we don't smile | Níl aoibh orainn |
| we don't take | Ní thógaimid |
Negation and negative expressions have a very important role in Irish, therefore they need very special attention. Once you're done with the Gaelic Negation, you might want to check the rest of our Irish lessons here: Learn Irish. Don't forget to bookmark this page.