Ik spreek niet goed Nederlands.
English: I do not speak Dutch well.
- Language
- Dutch
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Vragen en ontkenning
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Dutch, 'ontkenning' means making a sentence negative. It is how you say that something is not true or does not happen.
When to use it
You use 'ontkenning' in Dutch to say that something is not the case, to deny something, or to answer questions negatively.
Key forms
- niet (not)
- geen (no, not any)
Examples
Hij heeft geen auto.
English: He does not have a car.
Wij gaan niet naar school vandaag.
English: We are not going to school today.
Zij eet geen vlees.
English: She does not eat meat.
Tips
- Use 'niet' to make verbs, adjectives, or adverbs negative.
- Use 'geen' to make nouns negative when there is no 'de' or 'het' word before.
- Do not use both 'niet' and 'geen' together in the same phrase.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Use 'geen' only with nouns without 'de' or 'het', or without a possessive word.
- 'Niet' usually comes after the verb, but before adjectives or adverbs.