Negation (nie)

Negation with "nie"

To make a sentence negative in Polish, simply place the word nie (no/not) directly in front of the verb.

I do not know where he is now.
Nie wiem, gdzie on teraz jest.
This young woman does not want to read.
Ta młoda kobieta nie chce czytać.

Word order

The word nie always stays glued to the front of the verb. It does not change position, even when you add adverbs or time words to the sentence.

He does not want to live here.
On nie chce tu mieszkać.
This old man does not work there.
Ten stary mężczyzna tam nie pracuje.
I am not going there now.
Nie idę tam teraz.

Contrasting ideas with "ale"

You can use the word ale (but) to link two phrases together. This is very useful when you want to contrast a negative statement with a positive one.

She is not working today, but is reading.
Ona dzisiaj nie pracuje, ale czyta.
This phone is not cheap, but it is good.
Ten telefon nie jest tani, ale jest dobry.