-n't

英語

词源

not 的简略形。

發音

• 國際音標^(幫助)：/ənt/, /nt/

后缀

1. 表否定。不再能产。

   do -> don't

   does -> doesn't

   is -> isn't

用法说明

• 此后缀只能添加在助动词后，如 be。dare 和 need 在某些情况下也适用。某些英语方言中，并非所有助动词都可加此后缀，如：mayn't 仅存在于特定方言中。
• 后缀化可导致词形变化，如 shall + -n't -> shan't； am + -n't -> （通常为） aren't 或 ain't。这三个后缀化的例词都是方言词，可能在其他方言中不为使用。
• 虽然带此后缀的词被认为是原词与副词 not 的组合，从语法学上看却不完全是这样。例如，主谓倒置时，-n't 仍与动词结合为同一词，不同于拆开的 not。

  Isn't that difficult?　那不难吗？

  Is that not difficult?　那还不难吗？

• 语义上看，-n't 后缀化后的语义可能不完全与原语义单纯的对立面（否定）等同。

  例：I can’t leave.（我不能走）是 I can leave.（我能走）的对立面，

  但：I shouldn’t leave.（我不该走 -> 我该留下）却比 I should leave（我该走了）的对立面要语义狭窄。同样的现象也见于汉语和英语的其他否定结构中。

派生词

• 'tisn't, 'twasn't, 'tweren't, I'ven't, ain't, amn't, an't, aren't, bettern't, can't, couldn't, daren't, dasn't, dassn't, didn't, doesn't, don't, hadn't, hasn't, haven't, he'sn't, isn't, it'sn't, mayn't, mightn't, mustn't, needn't, oughtn't, sha'n't, shalln't, shan't, she'sn't, shouldn't, we'ven't, whyn't, willn't, wo'n't, won't, worn't, wouldn't