Breakdown of Я никогда не хочу вам помогать.
не
not
я
I
хотеть
to want
помогать
to help
вам
to you (formal/plural)
никогда
never
Questions & Answers about Я никогда не хочу вам помогать.
Why does this sentence use both никогда and не?
In English, we say 'I never want', using just one negative word. Russian requires a double negative. Whenever you use a negative word like никогда (never) or ничего (nothing), you must also put не right before the verb. It literally translates to 'I never do not want'.
Does никогда always go before не?
Usually, yes. Putting the negative word like никогда right before the не plus verb combination is the standard and most natural word order in Russian.
Why is the word for 'you' вам instead of вас?
The verb помогать (to help) always requires the person being helped to be in the Dative case. You can think of it as giving your help 'to' someone. Вам is the Dative form of вы.
Why does помогать stay in its dictionary form?
Because it follows the verb хочу (I want). When you link two verbs together like 'want to help', only the first verb changes to match the subject. The second verb stays in its infinitive form, which usually ends in -ть.
Learn Я никогда не хочу вам помогать and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free