Negation Beyond Non

You already know that Italian negates sentences by placing non before the verb: Non parlo italiano. But Italian has a rich system of negative words that go far beyond "non." This lesson covers niente/nulla, nessuno, mai, né...né, neanche/nemmeno/neppure, and other negative constructions.

---

The Double Negative Rule

In English, a double negative is incorrect: "I don't know nothing" is wrong. In Italian, double negatives are standard and correct:

Italian	Literal Translation	Real Meaning
Non so niente.	I don't know nothing.	I don't know anything.
Non vedo nessuno.	I don't see nobody.	I don't see anyone.
Non vado mai al cinema.	I don't go never to the cinema.	I never go to the cinema.

Key Rule: When the negative word comes after the verb, you must also use "non" before the verb. When it comes before the verb, "non" is omitted.