Level: Beginners (A1/A2)
Category: General • Grammar Rules
Being Negative: Saying no one, nothing, and more in Polish! Table of contents
Basic introduction and guide to using nikt/nic in Polish
- nikt = nobody.
- nic = nothing
- Most sentences in Polish that use "nikt" will also use "nie". Double negation in Polish doesn't mean they cancel each other out (like in English). In fact, you are required (in most cases) to also put nie into the sentence.
- For example Nikt nic nie wie = no one knows (literally "nobody nothing does not know")
Nikt/Nic in different tenses
Of course you need to know how to use these words in different cases:
| Case | Nikt (nobody) | Nic (nothing) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | nikt | nic |
| Accusative | nikogo | nic |
| Genitive | nikogo | niczego |
| Instrumental | nikim | niczym |
| Locative | nikim | niczym |
| Dative | nikomu | niczemu |