Negating Adjectives and Adverbs
In Dutch, niet (not) negates verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Place it directly before the adjective or adverb you want to negate.
| The earth is not flat. | De aarde is niet plat. |
| The sun is very hot, but the moon is not hot. | De zon is erg heet, maar de maan is niet heet. |
Before Prepositional Phrases
When a sentence includes a prepositional phrase (like a location or direction), niet goes right before the preposition.
| The sun does not revolve around the earth. | De zon draait niet om de aarde. |
| Astronauts do not walk on the moon without their coat. | Astronauten lopen niet op de maan zonder hun jas. |
After Definite Objects
If a sentence has a definite direct object (one using de, het, die, deze, or a possessive pronoun), niet goes after the object.
| We do not understand the universe entirely. | Wij begrijpen het heelal niet helemaal. |
At the End of the Clause
If a clause just has a subject and a verb, niet falls at the very end.
| We do not float, because we are on the earth. | Wij zweven niet, want wij zijn op de aarde. |
| That planet does not exist, because we see nothing. | Die planeet bestaat niet, want wij zien niets. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io