In a normal Dutch sentence, _niet_ goes towards the end: after the verb, after a person or thing that is already known (_hem_, _de fiets_), and after time words like _vandaag_ and _morgen_. It stops in front of whatever finishes the sentence: the verbs at the end, an adjective or a place phrase like _naar huis_. If you want to deny just one word, put _niet_ directly in front of that word.
The pattern
In a neutral sentence, _niet_ comes after the verb in second place, after known people and things, and after time words like _vandaag_. It comes before the verbs at the end, adjectives and most phrases with a preposition, such as _naar huis_.
- After a pronoun or a definite object (a specific person or thing: a name, or a noun with _de_, _het_, _deze_, _mijn_ and so on): _Ik ken Bas niet._
- After ordinary time expressions such as _vandaag_, _morgen_ and _gisteren_: _Ik zie hem vandaag niet._
- With frequency words such as _altijd_ and _vaak_, the position changes the meaning: _Ik werk niet altijd_ means "I don't always work".
- Before the verbs at the end, including the second part of a separable verb (a verb that splits in two, like _terugbellen_): _Ik heb hem niet gezien._ _Ik bel je niet terug._
- Before an adjective after _zijn_: _Het is niet duur._
- Before most place phrases and other phrases with a preposition (a small word like _naar_, _in_ or _op_ plus a noun): _Ik ga niet naar huis._
- Short place words such as _hier_ and _daar_ usually come before _niet_, unless you stress them for contrast: _Ik woon hier niet._
- Directly before one word you want to deny, usually followed by _maar_ and the right word: _Niet Anna, maar Tom._
With _een_ or no article, Dutch usually says _geen_ instead of _niet_. That is the next lesson: [Geen or niet?](#/lesson/geen-or-niet)
Examples
| Daan werkt morgen niet. | Daan isn't working tomorrow. |
|---|---|
| Ahmed vindt zijn sleutels niet. | Ahmed can't find his keys. |
| Ik heb de buren gisteren niet gezien. | I didn't see the neighbours yesterday. |
| Fatima kan vanavond niet komen. | Fatima can't come tonight. |
| Lotte neemt haar paraplu niet mee. | Lotte isn't taking her umbrella. |
| De aardbeien zijn vandaag niet duur. | The strawberries aren't expensive today. |
| Mei gaat niet naar de huisarts. | Mei isn't going to the GP. |
| Priya woont hier niet. | Priya doesn't live here. |
| Ik heb niet Anna gebeld, maar Tom. | I didn't call Anna, I called Tom. |
Why it works this way
Think of a Dutch sentence as having a front and a back. The front holds the background: who, the verb, the people or things involved, and when. The back holds the part that completes the meaning: _gezien_, _komen_, _mee_, _duur_, _naar huis_. A neutral _niet_ sits on the border between the two and denies the whole action.
This fits what you saw in [Time, manner, place](#/lesson/time-manner-place): time comes early, so it lands before _niet_; a place phrase like _naar huis_ comes late, so it usually lands after it. Short words like _hier_ and _daar_ count as background, so they slip in front: _Ik woon hier niet._ The second part of [separable verbs](#/lesson/separable-verbs) waits at the very end, after _niet_.
When you move _niet_ in front of one word, it denies only that word. That is why _Ik heb niet Anna gebeld_ sounds unfinished on its own: a Dutch listener waits for _maar Tom_.
English keeps "not" close to the first verb ("I have not seen him"), and Spanish and Arabic put the negative right before the verb. Dutch lets the object and time words go first. If you speak German, good news: _niet_ mostly sits where _nicht_ does. Speakers sometimes shift things for emphasis, but this is the order to learn first.
Remember: _niet_ lets the known things pass first (who, what, when, and little words like _hier_) and then stands guard in front of the ending.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik niet werk vandaag._ Say: _Ik werk vandaag niet._ (in a main clause, _niet_ follows the verb in second place)
- Not: _Ik heb niet gezien hem._ Say: _Ik heb hem niet gezien._ (the object goes before _niet_, the participle goes to the very end)
- Not: _Het is duur niet._ Say: _Het is niet duur._ (_niet_ goes before the adjective)
- Not: _Ik ga naar huis niet._ Say: _Ik ga niet naar huis._ (_niet_ goes before a place phrase with _naar_)
- Not: _Ik neem mijn jas mee niet._ Say: _Ik neem mijn jas niet mee._ (the separable part stays last, after _niet_)
Quick check
- Choose the correct sentence: _Emma heeft de rekening niet betaald._ or _Emma heeft niet betaald de rekening._
- Fix the sentence: _De trein is laat niet._
- Fix the sentence, with no contrast intended: _Carlos niet werkt vandaag._
- Fill in the gap with one word: _Ik heb ... Bas gebeld, maar Yara._
Answers
- _Emma heeft de rekening niet betaald._ (the participle goes last, with _niet_ just before it)
- _De trein is niet laat._ (_niet_ goes before the adjective)
- _Carlos werkt vandaag niet._ (after the verb and after the time word)
- _niet_ (directly before the one person you deny, with _maar_ and the right person after it)
Use it today
Say three true sentences about your own day out loud: one with a time word (_Ik werk vrijdag niet._), one with a verb at the end (_Ik heb de afwas niet gedaan._) and one with a place (_Ik ga vandaag niet naar de supermarkt._). Swap in your own details.