In Russian, if you want to say "I do not want," you say "Я не хочу" (Ya ne khochu).

Knowing how to say "no" is really important for everyday conversations. Let’s learn how to make simple negative sentences!

How to Say "No"

The main way to make a verb negative in Russian is:

не + verb

Example with "Want"

• The word for want in Russian is хотеть (khotet’).
• So, to say "I do not want," you say: Я не хочу (I do not want).

More Examples

Here are some other negative sentences:

1. Я не знаю (Ya ne znayu) – I do not know.
2. Я не люблю (Ya ne lyublyu) – I do not like.
3. Я не понимаю (Ya ne ponimayu) – I do not understand.

Key Words to Remember

• Я (Ya) – I
• не (ne) – not
• хочу (khochu) – want
• знаю (znayu) – know
• люблю (lyublyu) – like
• понимаю (ponimayu) – understand

Practice Time!

Now it’s your turn! Try making your own sentences with different verbs.

For example, if you want to say "I do not eat," you can say Я не ем (Ya ne yem).

With these examples, you can easily say "no" in your conversations!