Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mond semmit.

Neither the woman nor the man says anything.

Breakdown of Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mond semmit.

• nem: not
• férfi: the man
• nő: the woman
• mondani: to say
• sem: neither
• sem: nor
• semmi: anything

Questions & Answers about Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mond semmit.

What does the pattern sem … sem do here?

It’s the Hungarian way to say “neither … nor.” Each part you negate gets its own sem:

• Sem a nő, sem a férfi = neither the woman nor the man You must repeat sem on both elements.

If sem … sem is negative, why do we also need nem?

Hungarian uses negative concord: negative words stack. So you keep:

• sem … sem (neither … nor)
• nem (not)
• a negative pronoun like semmit (nothing) Dropping nem (e.g., “Sem a nő, sem a férfi mond semmit”) is ungrammatical.

What is semmit and why does it end in -t?

Semmit is the accusative (direct-object) form of semmi “nothing.” Hungarian marks direct objects with -t:

• nominative: semmi (“nothing”)
• accusative: semmit (“nothing” as an object) Other cases exist too (e.g., semmiben “in nothing,” semmire “for/to nothing”), but here we need the object form.

Can I say semmit nem mond instead of nem mond semmit?

Yes. Both are correct:

• Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mond semmit.
• Sem a nő, sem a férfi semmit nem mond. Putting semmit before nem mond highlights “nothing at all” more strongly; it’s very common and slightly more emphatic.

Why is the verb singular (mond) and not plural (mondanak)?

With sem … sem subjects, Hungarian typically uses the singular if each subject is denied individually:

• Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mond semmit. (more common) A plural verb is also possible, treating them as a group:
• Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mondanak semmit. Both are accepted; singular feels a bit crisper/neutral.

Is the comma after nő required?

You’ll see it both ways. Many writers omit it:

• Sem a nő sem a férfi nem mond semmit. Including a comma can mark a pause or add clarity in longer phrases:
• Sem a nő, sem a férfi nem mond semmit. Both are common in modern usage.

Can I drop the article a and say Sem nő, sem férfi…?

Not if you mean “the woman” and “the man.” You should repeat the article with each sem:

• Sem a nő, sem a férfi … Without articles (Sem nő, sem férfi …) it sounds generic (“no woman, no man”), which is a different nuance.

Could I instead say A nő és a férfi nem mond semmit?

You can:

• A nő és a férfi nem mond semmit. This often communicates the same practical idea (both are silent), but sem … sem is the clearest, unambiguous “neither … nor” structure and is preferred when that contrast matters.

What’s the difference between sem and se?

se is a shorter, more colloquial variant of sem. Use one form consistently on both sides:

• Formal/neutral: Sem a nő, sem a férfi …
• Colloquial: Se a nő, se a férfi …

Why is it mond and not mondja? When do I use mondja?

Hungarian verbs have indefinite vs. definite conjugation:

• mond (3sg indefinite) is used with an indefinite or no specific object: nem mond semmit.
• mondja (3sg definite) is used with a definite object: nem mondja az igazságot (“doesn’t say the truth”), nem mondja azt (“doesn’t say that”). With semmit/valamit/mindent, use the indefinite form (mond).

Is there another natural way to say “Neither of them says anything”?

Yes:

• Egyikük sem mond semmit. (“Neither of them says anything.”) You can also say: Senki nem mond semmit (“Nobody says anything”), if you mean nobody at all.

Can I stack more than two items with sem?

Yes, just keep adding sem:

• Sem a nő, sem a férfi, sem a gyerek nem mond semmit.

What’s the positive counterpart of sem … sem?

Use is … is (“both … and”) or mind … mind:

• A nő is, a férfi is mond valamit.
• Mind a nő, mind a férfi mond valamit.

Can I flip the order around the subjects?

Yes. Another common layout is:

• A nő sem, a férfi sem mond semmit. This means the same; it presents each subject separately as included in the negation (“the woman doesn’t either; the man doesn’t either”).

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• s is pronounced like English “sh”: sem, semmit start with [ʃ].
• Long vowels: nő has long ő [øː]; férfi has long é [eː].
• Double mm in semmit is a real geminate [mː] (often audible).
• Primary stress is on the first syllable of each word: SEM a NŐ, SEM a FÉR-fi NEM MOND SEM-mit.