נאָך פּרטים

The Negative נישט קיין

A. קיין with an Object

We have already learned the negative נישט (see lesson 2.3). There is also a negative article קיין that replaces the indefinite article אַ/אַן(*) in a negative sentence:

Note that a negative sentence with קיין also includes נישט. Also, the word קײן is generally not accented.

*On אַ/אַן see ‏1.3 נאָך פּרטים‏.

The same rule applies to the phrase אַ סך. The negative of this phrase is נישט קיין סך.

קיין is added to a negative sentence before a noun that refers to something nonspecific, even when אַ/אַן is not present in the positive sentence. This is always the case with a plural noun because the indefinite article has no plural form:

There are also nouns that come without the indefinite article in the singular. קיין is added when they are negated:

With a number, the noun can also be nonspecific:

The above sentences are about “six (nonspecific) eggs”, not “the six (specific) eggs”.

The definite article (דער/די/דאָס) is used in a negative sentence. It refers to something specific and thus the negative article קיין, which always indicates that something is nonspecific, is not used.

B. קיין with the verb זײַן

The same rules apply to sentences with the verb זײַן. For example:

But...

C. Word Order

The negative article קיין comes right before the noun* that it negates. נישט comes in its own usual place (see נאָך פּרטים‏‎ 3.2, “Word Order”). This means that נישט and קיין are sometimes next to each other and are sometimes apart. They are usually apart in sentences with an infinitive –

or with a prepositional phrase

*and words connected with the noun, such as adjectives

See also the general description of word order in ‏5.3 נאָך פּרטים.

The Respectful Pronoun איר

In lesson 1.1 we learned that דו is used when speaking to one person (singular) and איר when speaking to more than one person (plural).

The pronoun איר is used with a single person as a respectful term of address. In this lesson we saw that when Nomi orders pizza, she uses the איר form of the imperative (איין פּיצע, זײַט אַזוי גוט). Since the pizza seller is an adult and not a close friend or relative, Nomi addresses him with the איר form.

Addressing someone with the familiar דו is known as רעדן אויף דו or דוצן. Addressing someone with the respectful איר is known as רעדן אויף איר or אירצן.

Who should be addressed with דו and who with איר is in part a matter of temperament and of local cultural norms. Here is, nonetheless, a guide to the generally accepted use of דו and איר:

Familiar relationship:

• An adult addresses a child as דו.
• A child addresses his/her father, mother and other relatives and close friends as דו.
• Friends address each other as דו.

Respectful relationships:

• A child addresses an adult (besides family and close friends) as איר, for example a teacher, a storekeeper, a friend of his/her parents.
• Adults address each other as איר when they don’t know each other, or they don’t have a close friendship (for example when someone talks to a doctor, a mail carrier, a mechanic, a bank clerk etc.)
• When someone simply wants to show respect, they use איר (for example, talking to an older person).

Remember: איר is always used when addressing more than one person, whether in a familiar or a respectful way.