〜ぬ: This is an old way to say "not." It means the same as the modern "〜ない."

Dictionary

〜ぬ

This is an old way to say "not." It means the same as the modern "〜ない."

N1 KMT7FormalStandardClassical InflectionMixedOlder SpeakersClassicalClassical NegationGrammar

Verb [dictionary form] + ぬPrimary

い-Adjective [stem] + からぬ

This is an old way to say "not." It means the same as the modern "〜ない."

予期せぬトラブルが発生し、プロジェクトは一時中断となった。

An unexpected problem arose, and the project was temporarily suspended.

FormalPastNegativePrenominalDeclarativeWork & Career Business & Finance

何があろうと、この城は決して明け渡さぬ。

No matter what happens, we will never surrender this castle.

FormalNon PastNegativeSentence EndingVolitionalHistory Military

「知らぬが仏」ということわざがあるように、知らない方が幸せなこともある。

As the proverb 'Ignorance is bliss' suggests, sometimes one is happier not knowing.

NeutralNon PastNegativeMid SentenceDeclarativeCulture & Traditions Religion & Philosophy

彼は真実を告げぬまま、故郷を去った。

He left his hometown without ever telling the truth.

FormalPastNegativeMid SentenceDeclarativeLiterature Emotions & Psychology

彼の申し出は、時としてよからぬ結果を招くことがある。

His proposals can sometimes bring about undesirable results.

NeutralNon PastNegativePrenominalDeclarativeBusiness & Finance Emotions & Psychology

This word sounds very old. It is like speaking Shakespeare's English today. People use it for special sayings or old stories. It can sound very serious or even a bit strange in everyday talk.

This is like '〜ない' today. It means "not." It is different from '〜ず'. '〜ず' means "without doing something." '〜ぬ' is used at the end of a sentence. You can also use it before a noun. '〜ん' is a short form of '〜ぬ'. But '〜ん' is very casual. It is used in different situations.

Don't use this when you want to say something in modern Japanese. For example, you wouldn't say "食べぬ" for "I don't eat" today. Before you add "ぬ", change the verb's ending. For verbs like "kaku", change "ku" to "ka". So, "kaku" becomes "kakanu". For verbs like "miru", remove "ru". So, "miru" becomes "minu". "Suru" becomes "senu". "Kuru" becomes "konu". For words like "ii" (good), change it to "yokaranu".

More formal alternatives(2)

〜ず

This means 'without doing something'. It also means 'instead of doing something'. You use it to join two parts of a sentence.

〜ん

This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.

Dialect / slang variants(1)

〜ん

This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.

辞書形

This is the basic form of a verb. It is what you find in a dictionary. You use it to make other verb forms.

ない形

This is how you make a verb negative. It means "do not" or "will not." It is the casual way to say 〜ません.

〜ん

This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.

Track your mastery

Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.

Dictionary

〜ぬ

This is an old way to say "not." It means the same as the modern "〜ない."

N1 KMT7FormalStandardClassical InflectionMixedOlder SpeakersClassicalClassical NegationGrammar

Verb [dictionary form] + ぬPrimary

い-Adjective [stem] + からぬ

This is an old way to say "not." It means the same as the modern "〜ない."

予期せぬトラブルが発生し、プロジェクトは一時中断となった。

An unexpected problem arose, and the project was temporarily suspended.

FormalPastNegativePrenominalDeclarativeWork & Career Business & Finance

何があろうと、この城は決して明け渡さぬ。

No matter what happens, we will never surrender this castle.

FormalNon PastNegativeSentence EndingVolitionalHistory Military

「知らぬが仏」ということわざがあるように、知らない方が幸せなこともある。

As the proverb 'Ignorance is bliss' suggests, sometimes one is happier not knowing.

NeutralNon PastNegativeMid SentenceDeclarativeCulture & Traditions Religion & Philosophy

彼は真実を告げぬまま、故郷を去った。

He left his hometown without ever telling the truth.

FormalPastNegativeMid SentenceDeclarativeLiterature Emotions & Psychology

彼の申し出は、時としてよからぬ結果を招くことがある。

His proposals can sometimes bring about undesirable results.

NeutralNon PastNegativePrenominalDeclarativeBusiness & Finance Emotions & Psychology

This word sounds very old. It is like speaking Shakespeare's English today. People use it for special sayings or old stories. It can sound very serious or even a bit strange in everyday talk.

More formal alternatives(2)

〜ず

This means 'without doing something'. It also means 'instead of doing something'. You use it to join two parts of a sentence.

〜ん

This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.

Dialect / slang variants(1)

〜ん

This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.

辞書形

This is the basic form of a verb. It is what you find in a dictionary. You use it to make other verb forms.

ない形

This is how you make a verb negative. It means "do not" or "will not." It is the casual way to say 〜ません.

〜ん

This word means 'not'. It is a short, spoken way to say 'not'. People use it in everyday talk.

Track your mastery

Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.

〜ぬ

Patterns2

Meaning

Examples5

Nuance1

Contrasts1

Restrictions1

Compare with3

More formal alternatives(2)

Dialect / slang variants(1)

Prerequisites3

Track your mastery

〜ぬ

Patterns2

Meaning

Examples5

Nuance1

Contrasts1

Restrictions1

Compare with3

More formal alternatives(2)

Dialect / slang variants(1)

Prerequisites3

Track your mastery