This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.
Verb + んPrimary
This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.
そんなこと、わしは知らん。
I don't know about that kind of thing.
昨日は忙しくて、宿題が全然できんかった。
I was busy yesterday and couldn't do my homework at all.
この先、何があっても諦めん。
Whatever happens from now on, I won't give up.
「時間がないから、もう行かんとあかん」と彼は言った。
He said, "There's no time, so I have to go now."
見んほうが身のためだぞ。
It's for your own good not to look.
RoughNon PastNegativePrenominalEmphatic
This ending makes your speech sound very casual. It can feel strong or firm. People in western Japan use it a lot. It might sound a bit rough sometimes.
This is different from '〜ず'. '〜ず' means 'without doing something'. '〜ん' just means 'not' or 'don't'. They are used in different kinds of sentences. For example, '行かん' means 'don't go'. You cannot use '〜ず' here.
Watch out: There are two kinds of "~n". One means "not". It is like "~nai". For example, "taben" means "do not eat". The other "~n" is short for "~nda". It adds explanation. For example, "taberunda" means "I eat it (because...)". These two "~n" are very different. Look at the words around them to know which one it is.
Don't use this when you need to be polite. For example, don't say "食べん" to your boss. This form means "not." It is a short way to say "ない." You add it to verbs. For some verbs, change the last sound to "a." Like "書く" becomes "書かん." For others, remove the last sound. Like "見る" becomes "見ん." For "する," it becomes "せん." For "くる," it becomes "こん." It is very casual speech.
Contrasts with(2)
Less formal alternatives(1)
Dialect / slang variants(1)
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