More negatives: なくて, ないで, ず(に), and the double negative

The negative ない is an い-adjective, so it has all the forms of one:

Everything you learned about い-adjectives applies.

なくて gives a reason or a state, like the て-form of the adjective:

It describes a negative state or feeling that follows. For deliberate actions, don't use it.

ないで says one action happens without another:

It also makes a request: ないでください = "please don't".

A shortcut: if the sentence says because I didn't, use なくて. If it says while not, use ないで.

ず(に) is the written, formal, or slightly old-fashioned equivalent of ないで.

Make it by replacing ない with ず: 食べず, 行かず, 知らず. する becomes せず: 勉強せずに.

An older negative, ぬ, survives in set phrases and in speech as ん:

• 知らん (I don't know)
• 分からん (I don't get it)
• 〜せぬ (does not)
• 〜ません (the polite negative began as ます + ぬ)

Some dialects use ん everywhere. In fiction, a character who says 知らん is usually gruff or from the Kansai area.

A double negative is a gentle way of saying yes:

These are soft agreements. Rather than a flat "yes", the speaker keeps some reserve.

You know ないと (must) from earlier. Remember:

Spoken, the second half is dropped.

State of not doing:

A negative question often seeks agreement or makes a polite invitation: 行かない？ 分からない？

Negatives are used to describe what did not happen and the state that followed.

• ない is an い-adjective: なかった, なくて, なければ.
• なくて: reason or state. ないで: without (doing). ず(に): formal "without".
• ん / ぬ: spoken or old negative.
• 〜ないことはない / 〜なくはない: soft "yes, in a way".