Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "neither" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

ни

Meaning: neither, not a, not any

Pronunciation: [nee]

Part of speech: conjunction, particle

Rank: #60 (see frequency list)

Does he really have no money at all?
Photo by stuartpilbrow, licensed under CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Я не нашëл в рабóте ни однóй оши́бки!
I have not found any mistakes in the paper.
У негó что, прáвда нет ни копéйки?
Does he really have no money at all?
literal Does ha really have not a [single] kopeck?
У Кáти нет ни мину́ты свобóдного врéмени.
Katia does not have any free time at all.
literal Katia does not have a minute of free time.
Мы не ви́дели ни егó, ни еë.
We saw neither him nor her.
Ни тогó, ни другóго нé было на собрáнии.
Neither of the two were present at the meeting.
Ты что, э́то так интерécно, я не пропусти́л ни одногó урóка!
I can't agree with you, it is really interesting, I have not missed a single lesson!
Кудá бы он ни пошëл, вездé встречáл Пáвла.
Wherever he went, he met Pavel everywhere.
Как ни старáйся, ничегó не вы́йдет.
No matter how hard you try, nothing will come out of it.
Скóлько бы ты ни рабóтал, всë равнó мнóго не зарабóтаешь.
No matter how hard you work, you will not earn a lot anyway.
Он не нашëл информáции о вы́борах ни в какóй газéте.
He did not find the information about the elections in any newspaper.
Подожди́, я eщë ни с кем не разговáривал.
Wait, I have not spoken to anybody yet.
Бинтá ни у когó нет?
Does anybody have a bandage?
Не сомневáйся ни в чëм!
Do not doubt about anything!
Ни у когó из них нет óпыта рабóты.
None of them has a job experience.
Я покá ни в когó не влюби́лся.
I am not in love with anyone yet.

Idioms and set expressions:

Ни за ни прóтив = Neither for nor against
Ни шáгу дáльше = Not a step further!
Нет ни души́ = Not a soul
Ни слóва бóльше = Not another word!
Всë э́то ни к чему́ = It is all to no good
Ни на что не годи́тся = Is good for nothing
Ни на чтó не променя́ет = He will not exchange it for anything
Ни с чем = With nothing, without anything
Ни колá, ни дворá = No place to go
literal No picket and no yard
Нет ни копéйки = To be penniless
literal Not a copeck
Ни еди́ного слóва = Not a single word
Ни грошá в кармáне = To be penniless
literal Not a penny in the pocket
Ни чертá = Not a damn thing
literal Not a devil
Ни уму́ ни сéрдцу = It is no good either for mind or for heart
Ни жив ни мëртв от стрáха = Frightened out of his wits
literal Not alive neither dead of fear
В нéбе ни óблачка = There is not a single cloud in the sky
Ни ры́ба ни мя́со = Neither fish, nor fowl
literal Neither fish not meat
Ни то ни сë = Neither one thing nor the other
Ни в грош не стáвить = Not give a damn (for)
literal Not give a half-copeck coin for

Related words:

никтó = nobody
ничегó = nothing
никудá = nowhere (direction)
нигде = nowhere (place)
никакóй = no, none

Proverbs and sayings:

Нé было ни грошá, а вдруг алты́н.
Yesterday a pauper, today a king
literal I had a half-kopeck coin and suddenly I got a three-kopeck piece.
Кудá ни кинь, вездé клин.
Every avenue comes up a dead end.
literal Wherever you look, there is a wedge.
На послóвицу ни судá, ни распрáвы.
For a proverb, no justice and no reprisal.

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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