Russian edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old East Slavic нѣту (nětu) and нѣтъ (nětŭ). From older *не ѥ ту (it is not here), where ту (тут, also colloquial не́туть (nétutĭ)), was originally an ethical dative (-ть (-tĭ), dative -ти (-ti)).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): [ˈnʲetʊ]
  • (file)

Predicative edit

не́ту (nétu)

  1. (colloquial) there is no, there are no (+ genitive)
    Измене́ний не́туIzmenénij nétuThere are no changes.
    У меня́ карандаше́й не́ту.U menjá karandašéj nétu.I have no pencils. (literally, “There are no pencils with me.”)
    • 1958, “Песня о тревожной молодости (Song of the Restless Youth)”, Lev Oshanin (lyrics), Aleksandra Pakhmutova (music)‎[1]:
      Забота у нас простая,
      Забота наша такая:
      Жила бы страна родная,
      И нету других забот!
      Zabota u nas prostaja,
      Zabota naša takaja:
      Žila by strana rodnaja,
      I netu drugix zabot!
      Our concern is simple;
      our concern is this:
      That our dear country would live,
      and there are no other concerns!
    • 1969, Yuri Entin (lyrics and music), “The Song of The Bremen Town Musicians”:
      Ничего́ на све́те лу́чше не́ту,
      Чем броди́ть друзья́м по бе́лу све́ту.
      Тем, кто дру́жен, не страшны́ трево́ги,
      Нам любы́е до́роги доро́ги,
      Нам любы́е до́роги доро́ги.
      Ničevó na svéte lúčše nétu,
      Čem brodítʹ druzʹjám po bélu svétu.
      Tem, kto drúžen, ne strašný trevógi,
      Nam ljubýje dórogi dorógi,
      Nam ljubýje dórogi dorógi.
      In this world there nothing can be better,
      Than traveling around with friends together.
      Those who've got friends aren't afraid of hassle,
      Every road is dear!
      Every road is dear!

Interjection edit

не́ту (nétu)

  1. (archaic) no
    • — Ты шутишь? — Нету. (А.С.Пушкин - "Евгений Онегин")

Usage notes edit

  • Often proscribed in favor of нет (net).
  • In the colloquial register, usage depends largely on the speaker's personal attitude towards this word; there is a range from active users to those who oppose it unconditionally.

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit