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(の)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(た)べる	食べるな	食べな	食べないな
	着(き)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(かえ)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(く)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(はし)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(お)ちたもん、拾(ひろ)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！）

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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(ちか)くでテレビ見(み)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(だいじ)なお客(きゃく)さんの前(まえ)で「行儀ぎょうぎ」悪(わる)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(ぎょうぎ)（が）悪(わる)い: ill mannered

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Extra 2: 買(か)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(の)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)

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 (やす)まな	休 みな	休 みぃな	休 みな	休 むな	休 もな
“Unless you rest…” “You must rest!”	“Take a rest.”	“Take a rest!!”	“Don’t rest!”	“Don’t rest!” (standard version)	“Let’s take a rest!”

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
Eat.	Eat!!	(1) Don't eat! (2) You must eat! –depending on the context	Let’s eat!	Don’t eat! (standard-like version)