Learn Polish: On z nikim nie rozmawia. - He does not talk with anyone.

On z nikim nie rozmawia.

He does not talk with anyone.

Breakdown of On z nikim nie rozmawia.

Questions & Answers about On z nikim nie rozmawia.

Why does the sentence use both nikim (nobody) and nie (not)?

Polish requires double negation. When you use a negative pronoun like nikt (nobody) or its forms like nikim, you must also negate the verb with nie. While English says "He doesn't talk to anyone," Polish literally says "He with nobody not talks."

Why is the word nikim used instead of nikt?

The preposition z (meaning "with") requires the noun or pronoun following it to take the Instrumental case. Nikim is the Instrumental form of the pronoun nikt.

Could I use mówi instead of rozmawia in this sentence?

It would sound unnatural here. Rozmawiać means to converse or have a two-way discussion, which pairs perfectly with z (with). Mówić generally means to speak or tell, and is usually paired with do (to) when addressing someone, like in "On do nikogo nie mówi".

Does the word order have to be z nikim nie rozmawia? Can I put z nikim at the end?

You can absolutely say On nie rozmawia z nikim. Both are grammatically correct, but placing z nikim before the negated verb is a very common, natural word order in Polish that slightly emphasizes the fact that he speaks to absolutely no one.