How can I say something like “I don’t go anywhere.” ?
も : complete negation
When we want to express that there is nothing, nowhere, no one etc to negate all the possibilities,
Question word + も (mo) + negative form
is used.
For example,
どこも行きません。
doko mo iki masen.
I don’t go anywhere.
どこも行きませんでした。
doko mo iki masendeshita.
I didn’t go anywhere.
Tips 1
We can also use the grammar pattern :
Question word + original particule + も (mo) + negative form
For example, we need the particle へ (e without intention) or に (ni : with intention) to say the destination :
日本へ行きます。
nihon e iki masu.
I go to Japan.
日本に行きます。
nihon ni iki masu.
I go to Japan.
Ref : に・へ：Destination
So, we can keep these particles and the sentence can become like :
どこへも行きません。
doko e mo iki masen.
I don’t go anywhere.
どこにも行きません。
doko ni mo iki masen.
I don’t go anywhere.
And those with the original particlesound stronger than those without it.
*We can’t use も with the particles like が (ga) and を (wo) .
Tips 2
We can use も (mo) with the affirmative form :
日本へ行きます。
nihon e iki masu.
I go to Japan.
日本も行きます。
nihon mo iki masu.
I go to Japan too.
日本へも行きます。
nihon e mo iki masu.
I go to Japan too.
The nuance is the same as the one we can check here : も : too, also, as well
And actually, the question word with も(mo) and negative form pattern isthe result of the collection of this use of も for the negation :
公園へ行きません。
kouen e iki masen.
I don’t go to the park.
スーパーも行きません。
suupaa mo iki masen.
I don’t go to the supermarket too.
レストランも行きません。
resutoran mo iki masen.
I don’t go to the restaurant too.
….
どこも行きません。
doko mo iki masen.
I don’t go anywhere.
Comment