How to say no, not, never, without and don't in Malayalam — the whole negation family in one lesson, so you stop making the three mistakes that follow learners for years. English negates with one word. Malayalam uses a whole family, and which one you need depends on what you are denying: existence, identity, ability, permission or an action. I am Dr. Reshmi R. Nair, an applied linguist from Kerala. I have taught hundreds of learners to speak Malayalam as it is actually spoken. THE TWO BIG ONES ഇല്ല (illa) - there is NOT; nothing is there at all അല്ല (alla) - is NOT; it exists, it is just not that ഉണ്ട് (undu) - there is / I have ആണ് (aanu) - is / am / are SEE THE DIFFERENCE പണം ഉണ്ട് (panam undu) - there is money പണം ഇല്ല (panam illa) - there is no money ഇത് പണമാണ് (ithu panamaanu) - this is money പണമല്ല (panamalla) - it is not money NEGATING VERBS വരില്ല (varilla) - will not come അറിയില്ല (ariyilla) - do not know SAYING DON'T — FOUR STRENGTHS വേണ്ട (venda) - not wanted; no thank you പോകേണ്ട (pokenda) - don't go; the gentle prohibition അരുത് (aruthu) - must not; the strong, rule-based prohibition പാടില്ല (paadilla) - is not permitted; the official written form പുകവലിക്കരുത് (pukavalikkaruthu) - do not smoke പേടിക്കരുത് (pedikkaruthu) - do not be afraid CANNOT വയ്യ (vayya) - cannot; inability, usually physical എനിക്ക് നടക്കാൻ വയ്യ (enikku nadakkaan vayya) - I cannot walk WITHOUT ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കാതെ (bhakshanam kazhikkaathe) - without eating ഒന്നും പറയാതെ പോയി (onnum parayaathe poyi) - left without saying anything ഇല്ലാത്ത (illaatha) - not having, -less പണമില്ലാത്ത ആള് (panamillaatha aalu) - a person with no money ജോലിയില്ലാത്ത (joliyillaatha) - without a job Which negative have you been using for everything? Comment and I will tell you what it should be. #LearnMalayalam #MalayalamGrammar #SpeakMalayalam