नहीं
Braj
Etymology
From Sanskrit नहि (nahí, “surely not”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *naǰʰí, from earlier *ná gʲʰí, from Proto-Indo-European *né + gʰí. Cognate with Assamese নাই (nai), Early Assamese নাহি (nahi), Hindi नहीं (nahī̃).
Adverb
नहीं (nahī̃)
- not
Alternative forms
- नाहीं (nāhī̃), नहिं (nahĩ), नाहिं (nāhĩ), नहीन (nahīn), नाहीन (nāhīn), नहिन (nahin), नाहिन (nāhin)
Hindi
Etymology
Inherited from Sanskrit नहि (nahí, “surely not”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *naǰʰí, from earlier *ná gʲʰí, from Proto-Indo-European *né + gʰí. Cognate with Assamese নাই (nai), Early Assamese নাহি (nahi), Braj नहीं (nahī̃).
Pronunciation
- (Delhi Hindi) IPA(key): /nə.ɦĩː/, [n̪ə.ɦĩː]
Audio (file)
Adverb
नहीं • (nahī̃) (Urdu spelling نہیں)
- no, not (negative response to a yes-no question)
- बिलकुलनहीं ― bilkul nahī̃ ― of course not
- no, not (representing negation of statements)
- यहाँ गाजरनहीं हैं
- yahā̃ gājar nahī̃ ha͠i
- there are no carrots here
Usage notes
Often used with the polite particle जी (jī) to be more polite in answering those given respect as in जी नहीं (jī nahī̃).
नहीं (nahī̃) is not used with verbs in subjunctive and imperative mood. The subjunctive negation ना (nā) is used with the subjunctive mood and the imperative negation मत (mat) is used with the imperative mood.
Synonyms
- ना (nā)
- मत (mat)
References
- McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “नहीं”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press