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Questions & Answers about Hy dink nie negatief nie.
Why does the sentence have two nie words?
In Afrikaans, double negation is standard. The first nie follows the verb (dink), and the second nie often comes at the end of the sentence. This construction creates a complete negative statement.
Why is there no extra ending on negatief?
Words like negatief can be used as adjectives or adverbs without adding a suffix, depending on the sentence’s structure. Here, negatief is describing how he thinks, so it remains unchanged.
Does Hy dink nie negatief nie literally translate word-for-word into English?
Not exactly. A literal translation would look like He thinks not negative not, which isn’t grammatically correct in English. Afrikaans and English handle negation differently, so we interpret it in English as He doesn’t think negatively.
Is it possible to drop the second nie in casual speech?
Sometimes in very casual or colloquial Afrikaans, speakers might omit the second nie, but it’s considered incorrect in formal contexts. The standard structure should always include both nies in writing or more formal speech.