Dutch grammar: negatieve imperatief

What this grammar point covers

The negative imperative in Dutch is how you tell someone not to do something. It's used to give commands or instructions in a negative way.

When to use it

Use the negative imperative in Dutch when you want to tell someone to stop or avoid an action, such as in rules, warnings, or instructions.

Key forms

• Gebruik 'niet' of 'geen' + infinitief.
• Bijvoorbeeld: 'Niet doen!', 'Niet praten!', 'Geen suiker toevoegen!'

Examples

Tips

• Use 'niet' for most verbs, and 'geen' when you mean 'no' before a noun.
• The verb stays in the infinitive form after 'niet'.
• Do not use 'te' after 'niet' in the negative imperative.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Sometimes you can use 'doe dat niet' for emphasis: 'Doe dat niet!' means 'Don't do that!'.