2. Negative Imperatives “Don’t…!”
You already know that you can use either a negative request or
imperatives depending on the addressee and situation when you don’t
want someone to do a certain thing just as when you make a positive
request. Here is the list of negative requests and imperatives.
(For negative requests, refer to
Grammar 5
in Lesson 2 of Ch3 for
details)
Negative requests and
imperatives
|
Standard
|
(example)
|
Kansai
|
(example)
|
(sound)
|
Request (favor)
|
〜ないでくれない?
|
飲まないでくれない?
|
〜んといてくれへん?
|
飲まんといてくれへん?
|
|
Request |
〜ないで(ね/よ)。 |
飲まないで。
|
〜んといて(な/や)。
|
飲まんといて。
飲まんといてな。
飲まんといてや。 |
|
Request (stronger) |
|
|
〜んといてぇな/や。 |
飲まんといてぇな。
飲まんといてぇや。 |
|
Negative imperatives |
V(dictionary form) +な |
飲むな!
|
V(Masu stem) + な/ないな(older
generation) |
飲みな!
飲みないな! |
|
Negative command (softer)
|
|
|
V(negative stem)んと。 |
飲まん
と |
|
Let’s examine the formation of negative imperatives more closely.
Negative Imperatives
|
|
Standard
|
Kansai
|
Kansai (traditional)
|
V(dictionary form) + な
|
V(Masu-stem) +な
(When ending with る, V(dic.)+んな is used too)
|
V(Mau stem) + ないな |
Ru-verb
|
食べる |
食べるな |
食べな
|
食べないな |
着る
|
着るな |
着な
|
着
ないな |
U-verb
|
飲む
|
飲むな |
飲みな
|
飲みないな |
帰る
|
帰るな |
帰
りな |
帰
りないな |
Irregular
|
する |
するな
|
しな
|
し
ないな |
来る
|
くるな |
きな
|
きないな |
As seen in the chart above, the standard negative imperatives are
formed by adding the sentence final particle な to V(dictionary form),
whereas the Kansai version requires Masu-form. Also please note that
the Kansai negative imperatives are more gentle than the standard
versions and are used both by males and females as are the Kansai
(affirmative) imperatives.
そこ、ツルツルやさかい、
走りな/
走りないな!
(ST そこ、ツルツルだから、走るな!)
* ツルツル : slippery, smooth
Even though they have their own style of negative imperatives, Kansai
people (especially younger generation) have come to use standard style
negative imperatives more commonly nowadays. But, when the verb
dictionary form ends with る (whether Ru-verb, U-verb or Irregular),
るtends to be changed to ん as follows;
食べ
んな、
着んな、
帰
んな、
すんな、来
んな
いっぺん
落ちたもん、
拾て食べんなや!きたな〜!
(ST 一回落ちたものは拾って食べるなよ!汚い!)
Extra 1: そんなこと、せんとき。
As described in
Grammar
5(in Lesson 2 of Ch3), Kansai people use 〜んといて(
ST 〜ないでおいて) as a negative request. 〜んとき, the Kansai imperative form of
〜んといて, is frequently used as negative imperatives in Kansai. This
expression is more gentle than V(Masu-stem) + な form.
(To a friend) そんな
近くでテレビ
見んとき。<見な/見んな
(ST そんなに近くでテレビを見ないで。)
(Mother to her child)
大事なお
客さんの
前で「行儀ぎょうぎ」
悪いことせんときや。<しな/すんな
(ST 大事なお客さんの前で行儀の悪いことはしないでね!)
* 行儀(が)悪い: ill mannered
Extra 2: 買いな、買いぃな、買うな、買わな!?
Most of you have already realized that Kansai imperatives and Kansai
negative imperatives share the same formation pattern, and the forms
look exactly the same when assertive particle な is attached to the
affirmative imperatives! But most of them are actually distinguishable
if you
pay attention to the accentual patterns.
食べ
な(食べなさいよ)、食
べぇな(食べろよ) VS 食
べな(食べるな negative)
飲み
な(飲みなさいよ)、飲
みぃな(飲めよ)VS 飲
みな(飲むな negative)
乗りな(乗りなさいよ)、
乗りぃな(乗れよ)VS
乗りな(乗るな negative)
Also, do you remember another function of な was introduced in the
former lesson? Yes, な can be the abbreviated version of
~ないかん/あかん( ~なければいけない) “You must …” in Kansai-ben (Refer to
Grammar 2 in
Lesson 2 of Ch4).
Vなければー>V(negative stem) +な (pronounced with low pitch)
食
べな、
飲
まな、
乗らな、
しな
/
せな、
来な
The accentual patterns of "You must.." form and "Don't.." form of
RU-verbs and する happen to be identical: if that is the case, you will
have to rely on the context.
Let’s see if you can actually distinguish V + な! Can you tell the
English equivalent of the following?
休
まな
|
休
みな
|
休
みぃな |
休
みな
|
休
むな |
休
もな
|
|
- “Unless you rest…”
“You must rest!”
|
|
|
|
- “Don’t rest!”
(standard version)
|
|
|
Did you get them? Alright, here is one more set.
食べな
|
食べぇな
|
食べな |
食べよな |
食べんな
|
|
|
|
- (1) Don't eat! (2)
You must eat! –depending on the context
|
|
- Don’t eat!
(standard-like version)
|
|