Negation: nie je, nikto nič

The verb byť has its own negative in the present tense, written as two words: nie som, nie si, nie je, nie sme, nie ste, nie sú. Peter nie je doma (Peter isn't at home). In the past and future it is one word: nebol, nebola, neboli, nebudem, nebude.

All other verbs simply take ne-, written together with the verb: nevolal, nerozumiem, nemáme.

Slovak uses double negation. Words like nikto (nobody), nič (nothing), nikdy (never), nikde (nowhere) and žiadny (no, none) always need a negated verb:

• Nikto mi nevolal. (Nobody called me.)
• Nič nevidím. (I can't see anything.)
• Doma nie je nikto. (There's nobody at home.)

Nikto mi volal without ne- is wrong.