Breakdown of Nici colecționarul, nici Ana nu scotocesc prin cutie.
Ana
Ana
nu
not
prin
through
cutia
the box
Questions & Answers about Nici colecționarul, nici Ana nu scotocesc prin cutie.
Why does Romanian use both nici ... nici and nu here?
Because this is the normal Romanian pattern for neither ... nor with a finite verb.
- nici ... nici links the two negative subjects
- nu negates the verb
So Nici colecționarul, nici Ana nu scotocesc ... is standard Romanian.
For an English speaker, this can feel like a double negative, but in Romanian it is not a mistake. In standard usage, you normally keep nu before the verb in this kind of sentence.
Does nici mean neither or nor?
It does the job of both.
In English, you usually say neither X nor Y. Romanian uses the same word twice:
- nici X, nici Y
So in this sentence, the first nici corresponds roughly to neither, and the second to nor.
Why is the verb scotocesc plural?