nie

Nie is primarily known as the negation particle in Polish. It precedes the word or phrase it negates and is used with verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and nouns in a wide range of constructions. Examples include Nie wiem (I don’t know), To nieprawda (That is not true), and Nie mam czasu (I don’t have time). In questions, nie can appear for emphasis or in idiomatic forms such as Czy to nieprawda? (Isn’t that true?).

Etymology and function: The Polish nie is a basic negative marker descended from Proto-Slavic negation elements. It is a separate word rather than a prefix, and its placement affects the scope and emphasis of negation. Polish syntax allows nie to negate single words, phrases, or entire clauses, and its use interacts with verb tense, aspect, and emphasis in spoken and written language.

Other uses: Beyond Polish, the sequence Nie occurs in other languages as part of names or transliteration. In East Asia, Nie is a common transliteration of several Chinese surnames when written in pinyin. The letters can also appear in place names or as part of multilingual personal names in diverse contexts. As a string, Nie thus has several distinct, language-specific meanings, most prominently as a negation particle in Polish.