In Russian, negation is important for saying the opposite of something.

For example, if you want to say "They do not play," you use the word "не" (which sounds like "nye"). This word means "not."

It’s simple to change a sentence to negative: just use не + verb.

Key Parts of Negation in Russian

1. The Verb:

   • The word for "play" is играть (pronounced "ee-GRAHT'").
   • When you say "they play" in Russian, it becomes играют (pronounced "ee-GRAY-oot").

2. Making a Negative Sentence:

   • To turn a sentence negative, just put "не" before the verb.
   • So, "They do not play" translates to "Они не играют" (pronounced "Ah-NEE nye ee-GRAY-oot").

Examples of Negation

1. Positive Sentence:
   • Они играют. (They play.)
2. Negative Sentence:
   • Они не играют. (They do not play.)

Practice with More Verbs

Here are some more verbs to practice with. Try making both positive and negative sentences!

• Бегать (to run)
  • Positive: Они бегают. (They run.)
  • Negative: Они не бегают. (They do not run.)
• Петь (to sing)
  • Positive: Они поют. (They sing.)
  • Negative: Они не поют. (They do not sing.)

Summary

To keep it simple, when making negative sentences in Russian, remember this rule: не + verb.

Use this pattern to say what people do not do.

Practice making sentences, and soon you'll feel more comfortable speaking in Russian!