Learn Romanian › nici
nici
nor /ˈnitʃʲ/
adverb#77 most common
Also: neither, not even, either (in negative clauses)
Example sentences
Nici eu nu știu.
Not even I know. / I don't know either.
Nu-mi place nici cafeaua, nici ceaiul.
I like neither coffee nor tea.
El nu vorbește nici engleză, nici franceză.
He speaks neither English nor French.
N-a mâncat nici măcar o bucată de pâine.
He didn't eat even a single piece of bread.
Nici măcar nu s-a scuzat pentru întârziere.
He didn't even apologize for being late.
Nici dacă mi-ai fi spus dinainte, tot n-aș fi putut ajunge la timp.
Even if you had told me beforehand, I still wouldn't have been able to arrive on time.
Word family
niciun / niciunulnot a single (one), none
nicionot a single (feminine)
niciodatănevernicăierinowherenicicumin no way
Etymology
Nici comes from Latin nec, the classical particle meaning 'and not' or 'nor'. Romanian added a final -i, a pattern also seen in și (from Latin sic, 'and, also') and deci (from de plus ci). The Latin root nec itself already fused the negator ne with the connective que. Romance sisters kept the bare root without the extra vowel: Italian né, French ni, and Spanish and Portuguese ni/nem.
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