Basic Negation with niet
To make a sentence negative, use niet (not). In a simple sentence with just one verb, niet goes at the very end.
| I do not smoke. | Ik rook niet. |
| Do you not swim? | Zwem je niet? |
Niet with Specific Objects
When a sentence has a specific direct object (like "the answer"), niet comes after the object.
| I am not forgetting the answer. | Ik vergeet het antwoord niet. |
Negating Adjectives
When you want to negate a description, niet goes directly before the adjective or its degree modifier (like te).
| The meat is not tasty. | Het vlees is niet lekker. |
| Are the men not talking too loudly? | Praten de mannen niet te hard? |
Modal Verbs and Rules
When a sentence uses a modal verb like willen (to want to) or mogen (to be allowed to), the main action gets pushed to the very end of the sentence as an infinitive.
| to be allowed to / may | mogen |
To state what is not wanted or not allowed, niet sits just before that final verb. Adverbs of place (like binnen or daar) come before niet.
| I do not want to wait. | Ik wil niet wachten. |
| The students are not allowed to smoke inside. | De studenten mogen binnen niet roken. |
| You may not park the car there. | U mag de auto daar niet parkeren. |
Stating Dislikes with houden van
To say you like or love something, use the verb houden van.
| to love / to like | houden van |
When a sentence has a preposition (like van), niet goes directly before the preposition.
| I do not like meat. | Ik houd niet van vlees. |
