italiano · A2 · grammar · 4 minutes
Expanded negation
Use non before the verb with mai, più, niente/nulla, and nessuno.
Understand the choice
Italian negative words usually keep non after the verb’s subject position, creating negative concord rather than cancelling each other. Fronted nessuno/niente can license omission of non.
Core rule: Non precedes the finite verb; mai, più, niente, and nessuno normally follow it unless a negative word itself is fronted.
Notice it in context
Non prendo più l’autobus e non guido mai.
I no longer take the bus and I never drive.
Non…più means no longer; non…mai means never.
Non vedo niente senza gli occhiali.
I cannot see anything without glasses.
Non and niente form normal negative concord.
Nessuno risponde al telefono.
Nobody answers the phone.
Fronted subject nessuno does not need non.
What to remember
- Non…ancora means not yet; ancora can also mean still/again.
- Niente and nulla are near synonyms for nothing.
Common trap: Do not remove non merely because mai/niente follows: non vedo niente.