Ik ben niet bezig.
English: I am not busy.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- A0
- Unit
- Basis ontkenningen en vragen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Basic negatives in Dutch are built with 'niet' or 'geen' and the main verb.
When to use it
Use negatives to say no, deny information, or describe absence.
Key forms
- zijn + niet
- hebben/doen + niet/geen + main verb
- kan niet (modal awareness)
Examples
Zij rijdt niet.
English: She does not drive.
Zij zijn niet op school.
English: They are not at school.
Wij begrijpen het niet.
English: We do not understand.
Tips
- Place 'niet' after the verb or object, depending on the sentence.
- Use 'geen' for negating nouns without 'de/het'.
- Do not add -t or -en to the main verb after 'niet'.
Exceptions and edge cases
- With 'zijn', no extra helper is needed: Zij is niet..., not Zij doet niet zijn....
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