nē
lv
en
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Translating...
no, no, no, I did not, no, rather
/neː/
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A Latvian no used for refusal, for answers to negative questions, for self-correction, and as a noun-like word for a refusal or denial.
Examples
Viņš piedāvāja vēl vienu kafiju, bet es teicu nē.
He offered another coffee, but I said no.
Vai viņa neatnāks? Nē, neatnāks.
Is she not coming? No, she is not coming.
Dažreiz viens godīgs nē ir labāks par neskaidru solījumu.
Sometimes one honest no is better than a vague promise.
Šis nē nozīmēja skaidru atteikumu.
This no meant a clear refusal.
Vai tu neesi noguris? Nē, neesmu.
Are you not tired? No, I am not.
Similar words
ne
noraidījums
drīzāk
ne
noliegums
ne
atteikums
Meanings
Usage
Use nē as a standalone answer meaning "no." Use ne before a verb or adjective when the sentence itself needs grammatical negation.
Examples
Nē, es šodien nenākšu.
No, I will not come today.
Vai tev vajag palīdzību? Nē, paldies.
Do you need help? No, thank you.
Viņš piedāvāja vēl vienu kafiju, bet es teicu nē.
He offered another coffee, but I said no.
Nē, tā nav mana soma.
No, that is not my bag.
Bērns skaļi protestēja: nē, es negribu!
The child protested loudly: no, I do not want to!
Uz šo jautājumu atbilde bija īsa: nē.
The answer to that question was short: no.
Common mistakes
nē is used as a whole answer, while ne carries ordinary sentence negation before another word.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Es nē gribu tēju.
| Es negribu tēju.
|
| Ne, paldies.
| Nē, paldies.
|
| Viņa atbildēja ne.
| Viņa atbildēja nē.
|
Usage
Use nē with the repeated negative verb when the answer means that something did not happen or is not so.
Examples
Vai tu neesi noguris? Nē, neesmu.
Are you not tired? No, I am not.
Vai viņa neatnāks? Nē, neatnāks.
Is she not coming? No, she is not coming.
Vai jūs to nezinājāt? Nē, nezinājām.
Did you not know that? No, we did not.
Vai tev nav laika? Nē, nav.
Do you not have time? No, I do not.
Vai viņi nesaprot noteikumus? Nē, nesaprot.
Do they not understand the rules? No, they do not.
Vai tu nepaņēmi atslēgas? Nē, nepaņēmu.
Did you not take the keys? No, I did not.
Common mistakes
nē after a negative question keeps the answer negative, so English-style yes and no patterns cannot be copied blindly.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Vai tu neesi noguris? Jā, neesmu.
| Vai tu neesi noguris? Nē, neesmu.
|
| Vai viņa neatnāks? Nē, atnāks.
| Vai viņa neatnāks? Jā, atnāks.
|
| Vai jūs to nezinājāt? Jā, nezinājām.
| Vai jūs to nezinājāt? Nē, nezinājām.
|
Usage
Use nē before the corrected wording when the sentence first offers one idea and then sharpens or strengthens it.
Examples
Sākumā šķita, ka viņš kavējas. Nē, viņš vienkārši nenāks.
At first it seemed he was late. No, he simply will not come.
Istabā valdīja klusums. Nē, drīzāk smaga spriedze.
There was silence in the room. No, rather a heavy tension.
Viņa bija nogurusi. Nē, pavisam pārgurusi.
She was tired. No, completely exhausted.
Tas nav tikai labs rezultāts. Nē, tas ir izcils.
This is not just a good result. No, it is excellent.
Es domāju, ka tas būs grūti. Nē, tas būs gandrīz neiespējami.
I think it will be hard. No, it will be almost impossible.
Viņš runāja mierīgi. Nē, pat pārāk mierīgi.
He spoke calmly. No, even too calmly.
Common mistakes
nē in this use corrects the speaker's own wording, not another person's yes-or-no question.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Viņa bija nogurusi. Jā, pavisam pārgurusi.
| Viņa bija nogurusi. Nē, pavisam pārgurusi.
|
| Tas ir labs. Nē, vai tev garšo?
| Vai tev garšo? Nē, negaršo.
|
| Nē, tas ir labs rezultāts, ja nav ko labot.
| Tas ir labs rezultāts. Nē, izcils.
|
Usage
Use nē like an indeclinable noun when the refusal itself is being discussed, especially after verbs such as pateikt or dzirdēt.
Examples
Viņai bija grūti pateikt nē.
It was hard for her to say no.
Komitejas nē apturēja visu projektu.
The committee's no stopped the whole project.
Šis nē nozīmēja skaidru atteikumu.
This no meant a clear refusal.
Bērns dzirdēja stingru nē un apklusa.
The child heard a firm no and fell silent.
Dažreiz viens godīgs nē ir labāks par neskaidru solījumu.
Sometimes one honest no is better than a vague promise.
Pēc viņas nē saruna ātri beidzās.
After her no, the conversation ended quickly.
Common mistakes
nē stays unchanged as a noun-like word, and it is not replaced by the verb-negating particle ne.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Viņai bija grūti pateikt ne.
| Viņai bija grūti pateikt nē.
|
| Komitejas nēs apturēja projektu.
| Komitejas nē apturēja projektu.
|
| Šis ne nozīmēja atteikumu.
| Šis nē nozīmēja atteikumu.
|
Similar words
atteikums
noraidījums
noliegums
Usage
Use nē for the answer or refusal itself, and keep ne for ordinary negation before another Latvian word.
Common mistakes
nē is often confused with ne, but nē answers or refuses while ne negates the following word.
FAQ
nē means no in Latvian, especially as a negative answer, refusal, or protest.
What is the difference between nē and ne?
nē is a full answer meaning no, while ne is the negating particle before another word, as in negribu.
nē is pronounced /neː/, with a long ē sound.
Can nē be used as a noun?
nē can be treated as a noun-like word for a refusal or denial, as in pateikt nē.
How do negative questions work with nē?
After a negative question, nē usually confirms the negative answer, as in Nē, neesmu for No, I am not.
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