Modern Hindi Grammar - Indian Institute of Language Studies (IILS)

4. SYNTAX

2. maOMnao yah iktaba nahIM pZ,I (hO).
   m ́~ne yeh kita:b nahĩ: parhi: (h ́).
   I-erg this book neg read (have)
   I have not read this book.

The particle mat mat ‘don’t’ is used with imperative constructions. It
is added in the preverbal position.

3. AKbaar mat pZ,ao.
   axba:r mat parho.
   newspaper neg read
   Don’t read the newspaper.


4. Aaja Gar mat jaa[e.
   a:j ghar mat ja:iye.
   today home neg go-pl
   Please don’t go home today.

The negative particle mat mat can be replaced by na na ‘no’, but it is
not used frequently.

3a. AKbaar na pZ,ao.
axba:r na parho.
Don’t read the newspaper.

4a. Aaja Gar na jaa[e.
a:j ghar na ja:iye.
Please don’t go home today.

4.3.3.2. Constituent Negation

A number of devices are employed to mark constituent negation.
The main constituents are the stress and the use of a negative
particle after the negated constituent. Sometimes stress is used to
negate the constituent.

5. ]sao kla p%naI sao laD,naa nahIM caaihe qaa.
   use kal patni: se larna: nahĩ: ca:hiye tha:.
   he-dat yesterday wife with quarrel neg should was
   He should not have quarreled with his wife yesterday.