nie
/ˈɲɛ/
The English word 'no' is expressed in Polish as nie.
nie is a particle used to show disagreement or negation. It can also function as a noun meaning 'a negating expression'.
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Silesian region, the word ńe may be used instead of nie for informally saying 'no'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a particle, nie is used to negate verbs, adjectives and adverbs, functioning similarly to the English word 'not'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɲɛ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use nie to mean 'no' in the sense of 'none' or 'not any' (e.g., 'I have no money'), whereas Polish often requires the word żaden or a double negation structure.
Did you know?
- In certain colloquial contexts, nie? is added to the end of a sentence to act as a tag question, similar to the English 'right?' or 'isn't it?'
- In Polish, it is common to use a double negation, such as nie mam nic, which literally translates to 'I do not have nothing'.
- The Polish word nie is a cognate of the English word 'not' and the Latin 'non', sharing a common ancient ancestor.
Examples in context
- Tu nie ma piwa.There's no beer here.This sentence is useful for showing the use of nie to negate the existence of something.Tatoeba #2827311 by MarekMazurkiewicz, translation #423144 by CM
- Już nie ma soli.There's no more salt.This sentence is useful for showing how nie expresses that something is no longer available.Tatoeba #552888 by Bilberry, translation #467337 by CK
- Nie ma tu bryzy.There is no breeze here.This sentence is useful for showing the negation of a noun in a sentence.Tatoeba #12401003 by polski_ren, translation #2041867 by halfb1t
- 1014 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Paweł and Katarzyna are discussing whether they should go for a walk.
- PawełCzy pójdziemy dzisiaj na spacer?Shall we go for a walk today?
- KatarzynaNie, bo pada deszcz.No, because it is raining.
- PawełMasz rację, to nie jest dobry pomysł.You are right, it is not a good idea.
- KatarzynaZostańmy w domu.Let's stay at home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries nie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
