non
[ˈnoːn]
Not in Latin is non.
non is the ordinary word for not. It negates verbs and adjectives.
Which one should you use?
non simply denies a statement. minime is a formal and stronger denial, closer to not at all. ne is used for commands and prohibitions, together with the subjunctive. nullus is different again, it means no or none in the sense of not any.
Is it said differently in some regions?
At Pompeii minume is found as another form of minime.
How does it change in a sentence?
non is an adverb and never changes its form.
Did you know?
- The word non is a linguistic relative of the ancient Gaulish word nane and the Luwian word nāna.
- The word non may have originally been a combination of ne ('not') and ūnus ('one'), essentially meaning 'not one'.
- The English word 'none' shares a distant linguistic lineage with the Latin concept of negation, as both trace back to ideas of 'not one'.
Examples in context
- Sit ut est, aut nōn sit.Let it be as it is, otherwise it would not be.nōn sit means would not be, with the long o marked.
- Lingua Graeca est, potest nōn legī.It's Greek, it can not be read.nōn legī means not to be read.
- Non ego, sed tu!No I'm not, you are!Non ego denies that it is the speaker.Tatoeba #5030915 by CarpeLanam, translation #1323 by Zifre
- Non amo.I do not love.
- Non est bonus.He is not good.
- Non credo tibi.I do not believe you.
- Minime vero.Not at all, indeed.
- Minime illius consilii perspicio utilitatem.I do not see any advantage in that plan.
- Ne illum videas.Do not see him.
- Ne id facias.Do not do that.
- Haudquaquam tibi credo.I do not believe you at all.
- Haudquaquam veniam.I will by no means yield.
- Nequaquam tibi credam.I will not believe you.
- Nequaquam hic manere volo.I do not want to stay here at all.
- 1210 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Claudia and Gaius are discussing whether a certain book is useful.
- ClaudiaEstne hic liber utilis?Is this book useful?
- GaiusNon, iste liber non est utilis.No, that book is not useful.
- ClaudiaCur non est utilis?Why is it not useful?
- GaiusQuia non habet veritatem.Because it does not have the truth.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry non, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries non, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
