Japanese Negation: How to Make Negative Sentences in Japanese Grammar

So you want to say "no" in Japanese? Well, get ready, because Japanese negation works completely differently from English. The good news is that once you understand the patterns, making negative sentences becomes pretty straightforward. The bad news? You've got multiple verb types to deal with, formal versus informal styles, and a bunch of conjugation rules to memorize. Let's break down exactly how Japanese negation works, starting with the basics and working our way up to the trickier stuff.

Understanding Japanese negation basics

Japanese uses different negative forms depending on what you're negating. Verbs, adjectives, and nouns all have their own rules. The most common pattern you'll see is adding nai (ない) for informal negation and masen (ません) for formal negation.

Unlike English where you just slap "not" into a sentence, Japanese requires you to conjugate the verb itself into a negative form.

The particle wa (は) often appears in negative sentences to mark the topic, just like in regular Japanese sentences. You'll see patterns like "watashi wa tabenai" () meaning "I don't eat" or "I won't eat."

Negative form for verbs

Verbs are where most learners spend their time with negation, and for good reason. You'll use negative verb forms constantly in everyday conversation.

Ru-verbs (Group 2 verbs)

Let's look at taberu (), which means "to eat":

Another example with miru () meaning "to see" or "to watch":

Pretty straightforward, right? The conjugation pattern stays consistent across all ru-verbs.

U-verbs (Group 1 verbs)

Take kaku () meaning "to write":

Wait, that formal one looks different! For formal negation with u-verbs, you actually use the masu (ます) stem. So kaku becomes kakimasu in formal positive, and kakimasen in formal negative.

Let's try nomu () meaning "to drink":

The mu (む) changed to ma (ま) for the informal, and we used the masu stem nomi for the formal version.

Here's a quick reference for the sound changes in u-verbs:

Irregular verbs

For suru:

For kuru:

These don't follow the normal patterns, so you've just got to drill them until they stick.

Past tense negatives

Alright, so you've got present tense negation down. Now let's add past tense into the mix.

Using taberu () again:

With kaku ():

Examples:

This pattern holds across all verb types. Once you know the present negative, forming the past negative follows the same rules every time.

Negating adjectives

Japanese has two types of adjectives, and they negate differently.

I-adjectives

I-adjectives end in i (い) in their dictionary form.

Take takai () meaning "expensive" or "tall":

Another example with oishii () meaning "delicious":

Na-adjectives

Na-adjectives work more like nouns.

Using kirei (きれい) meaning "pretty" or "clean":

The dewa versions sound more formal and are more common in writing, while ja versions are more conversational.

Negating nouns

This is basically the same as na-adjectives.

You might be wondering: is it dewanai or janai? Both are correct. Dewa nai (ではない) is more formal, while ja nai (じゃない) is conversational. You'll hear ja nai way more often in daily speech.

Examples with gakusei () meaning "student":

The copula desu (です) becomes ja nai desu (じゃないです) in casual polite speech, though technically ja arimasen is more grammatically correct for formal situations.

Answering questions with negation

When someone asks you a yes/no question in Japanese, you answer with hai (はい) for yes or iie (いいえ) for no, then typically follow up with the appropriate verb form.

Question:
?
Do you speak Japanese?

Negative answer:
。
No, I don't speak.

You can also just use the negative verb alone without iie in casual conversation. The verb form makes it clear you're saying no.

Here's something that confuses English speakers: if someone asks a negative question like "Don't you like sushi?" and you want to say you DO like it, you still say hai (はい) in Japanese. The logic is different from English. You're confirming or denying the statement itself.

Question:
？
Don't you like sushi?

If you like sushi:
。
No (to your negative assumption), I like it.

If you don't like sushi:
。
Yes (you're correct), I don't like it.

This trips up a lot of learners, so pay attention to the pattern.

Partial negation and double negatives

Partial negation in Japanese uses words like amari (あまり) meaning "not very" or zenzen (全然) meaning "not at all." These words pair with negative verb forms to express degree.

Double negatives in Japanese work differently than in English. When you use a negative verb with a negative potential form, you're actually creating emphasis rather than canceling out the negation.

For example, literally translates to something like "it's not that I can't not go," which means "I have to go" or "I have no choice but to go." These constructions sound formal and are more common in written Japanese or formal speech.

Another pattern uses meaning "must do." Literally this is "if you don't do it, it won't work," but it functions as an obligation expression.

Common mistakes with Japanese negative sentences

One mistake beginners make is trying to use a separate word for "not" like in English. You can't just stick nai (ない) randomly into a sentence. You need to conjugate the verb properly.

Another common error is mixing up the verb groups. If you treat a u-verb like a ru-verb, you'll create nonsense words. Kaku () doesn't become kakunai. It becomes kakanai ().

Some learners also forget that aru (ある) meaning "to exist" (for inanimate objects) has an irregular negative: nai (ない). Not aranai or arinai, just nai.

Similarly, iru (いる) meaning "to exist" (for animate beings) becomes inai (いない), which follows the ru-verb pattern but looks a bit odd because the stem is so short.

Moving forward with negation in Japanese grammar

Honestly, the best way to get comfortable with Japanese negation is just to practice. A lot.

Anyway, if you want to practice spotting these negative forms in real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and grammar patterns instantly while watching shows or reading articles. Makes it way easier to learn from actual native content instead of just textbook examples. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Making the first step is more important than perfection when learning conjugation rules

Don't stress too much about getting every conjugation perfect right away. Even if you mess up and say taberunai instead of tabenai, Japanese speakers will usually understand what you mean. The important thing is to keep practicing and gradually refine your accuracy as you consume more media extensively.

Try until you've made it!