Japanese word

ない

Pronunciation

Romajinai

Meaning

  • i-adjectivenot have

Example

私はお金がないです。watashi wa o kane ga na i de su

I do not have money.

Illustration for ない (not have)

More examples

私はペンがないです。watashi wa pe n ga na i de su

I do not have a pen.

冷蔵庫に牛乳がないです。rei zō ko ni gyū nyū ga na i de su

There is no milk in the refrigerator.

Core concept

ない (nai) marks something as absent from the situation, so it can describe both not having something and something not existing.

Common phrases

  • お金がないo kane ga na i

    have no money

  • 時間がないji kan ga na i

    have no time

  • 問題がないmon dai ga na i

    have no problem

Definition in Japanese

物や事が存在しないこと、または必要な物を持っていないことを表す。mono ya koto ga son zai shi na i ko to ma ta wa hitsu yō na mono o mo tte i na i ko to o arawa su

Word origin

As a native Japanese adjective, ない (nai, "absent") is the modern form of the older adjective 無し (nashi, "absence").

Usage tips

  • The conversational polite form ないです (nai desu) is commonly used with this adjective, as in 私はお金がないです (watashi wa okane ga nai desu), meaning that the speaker does not have money.

Other meanings

  • not therei-adjective
  • not existi-adjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word