This form shows that something did not happen. It is like saying 'did not do' in English.
Verb [なかった-form]Primary
This form shows that something did not happen. It is like saying 'did not do' in English.
昨日は宿題をしなかった。
I didn't do my homework yesterday.
会議に来なかった人は、後で資料を読んでください。
People who did not come to the meeting, please read the materials later.
あまり寝なかったから、今日はずっと眠い。
Because I didn't sleep much, I've been sleepy all day today.
え、まだ朝ごはん食べてなかったの？
What? You haven't eaten breakfast yet?
彼は来ると言ったが、結局来なかった。
He said he would come, but in the end, he didn't.
This form is different from "ませんでした" (masen deshita). "なかった" is for casual talk. "ませんでした" is for polite talk. You use "なかった" with friends. You use "ませんでした" with your boss.
Watch out: You might hear people say "~nakatta desu". This is common in casual talk. But it is not the most correct way. For formal talk or writing, always use "~masen deshita" instead. That is the proper form.
Use this when you want to say something did not happen. You can also use it to describe a noun. For example, 'the movie I didn't see'. Or you can use it to give a reason for something.
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