Breakdown of Ни одна афиша не висит на улице.
не
not
улица
street
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
висеть
to hang
афиша
poster / playbill (for events or performances)
ни один
not a single / not one
Questions & Answers about Ни одна афиша не висит на улице.
Why do we use ни одна and then also не висит? Doesn't that make a double negative?
Yes, and that is required in Russian. When you use an emphatic negative phrase like ни один (not a single), you must still negate the main verb using не. Without не, the sentence would be grammatically incorrect.
Why is the feminine form ни одна used here instead of the default ни один?
The phrase ни один must agree in gender and case with the noun it modifies. Because афиша (poster) is a feminine noun acting as the subject in the nominative case, we must use the feminine nominative form ни одна.
Could на улице be translated as 'outside' in this context?
Absolutely. In Russian, на улице is the standard and most natural way to express 'outside' or 'outdoors.' The sentence can perfectly translate to 'There isn't a single poster hanging outside.'
Why does Russian use the verb висит (hangs) instead of just saying the poster 'is' there?
Russian frequently requires specific verbs of spatial position—such as standing, lying, or hanging—where English would simply use the verb 'to be'. Because a poster is attached to a vertical surface, it physically 'hangs' (висит).
Learn Ни одна афиша не висит на улице 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