Listen to the audio & read the example:
1. А: Что ты купил в магазине?
В: Ничего.
A: What did you buy in the store?
B: Nothing.
2. A: Где он работает?
B: Нигде.
A: Where does he work?
B: Nowhere.
Negative pronouns and adverbs are formed from question words by adding ‘ни-’.
Question word | Negative pronoun/adverb | Translation |
кто? | никто | nobody |
чего? | ничего | nothing |
когда? | никогда | never |
где? | нигде | nowhere |
куда? | никуда | nowhere |
In Russian, negative pronouns and adverbs must be used together with the particle ‘не’ before the verb. This results in double negation, which is correct and required in Russian (unlike English). For example:
1. Я никуда не хочу идти!
I don't want to go anywhere!
2. Никто не знает номер телефона отеля.
Nobody knows the hotel’s phone number.
3. Я ничего не понимаю.
I don’t understand anything.
4. Нигде нет вай-фая.
There is no Wi-Fi anywhere.
Listen to the audio to hear the correct answers