なdon't (a blunt order)
A flat order not to do something. The everyday "please don't" is ないでください.
How to form it
Verb in the dictionary form + な
行く → 行くな, 食べる → 食べるな, する → するな, 来る → 来るな. The verb stays as it is; it doesn't go into the ない-form.
- Who says it
- Coaches, parents, the police, and, in real danger, people who would never say it otherwise. Casually, mostly men, to people below them or close to them. To anyone else it is rude.
- Where you'll meet it
- Emergencies, sports, warning signs and slogans, manga, anime and films.
- How it sounds
- Short and hard. With よ it eases into a warning or a reminder: 忘れるなよ.
In use
The security guard shouted, "Don't move!"
The coach told the players, "Don't give up before the end!"
The father sternly scolded his son. "Never do that again."
If you drink, don't drive.
A road-safety slogan everyone in Japan knows.
Two things to know
It isn't the everyday "don't"
English "don't" suits anyone. な is an order.
Between friends it can be kind
A few of these are friendly: don't worry, don't overdo it.
Don't push yourself too hard.
Don't forget tomorrow's test, OK?
Close neighbours
てはいけないN5
States a rule: "you must not". Nobody is being ordered about.
Bicycles must not be parked here.
なあN5
A feeling, drawn out and said to nobody in particular. It is often written with one な, after a verb too.
You can see so many stars.
Between a な-adjective and a noun, な only joins the two.
I study at a quiet library.
Check yourself
1You want your teacher to leave the window shut. Which fits?
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
危ない！
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
食べな is not 食べるな
After a ます-stem, な is short for なさい and means the opposite: do it.
Passing on what you were told
In a report of what someone told you not to do, な is neutral. Nobody was rude.
The doctor told me not to drink alcohol.
More sentences
The firefighter shouted to the child, "Don't come this way!"
The coach shouted to the athlete, "Don't look down! Run to the finish!"
Do not open that box! There is hazardous material inside.
I told myself, "Don't panic. Stay calm."
An old gate bore the warning, "Do not proceed beyond this point."