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Is this a TRIPLE negative?


minigolfer  1 | 2  
18 Feb 2008 /  #1
I know Polish uses double negatives. Is this a triple negative? How would you translate the following sentence into English accurately?

"Nie ma niczego na żadnym ze stołów."
z_darius  14 | 3960  
18 Feb 2008 /  #2
There is nothing on any of the tables.
OP minigolfer  1 | 2  
18 Feb 2008 /  #3
Thanks for the fast help, Darius! That's what I figured it meant. Would the most literal translation be: "Not having nothing on any of the tables."? Is that the logical idea?
osiol  55 | 3921  
18 Feb 2008 /  #4
I asked about double negatives before.
In English, spoken by a trained and experienced practitioner, one negative can be negated back into a postitive by another negative.
This ain't no case in Polish, or most languages, including most English.
The two negatives work with, not against eachother.
Michal  - | 1865  
18 Feb 2008 /  #5
"Nie ma niczego na żadnym ze stołów."

Nie ma nic, na żadnych stołach.
Bartolome  2 | 1083  
18 Feb 2008 /  #6
"Nie ma niczego na żadnym ze stołów."

Literally it would be 'There is not nothing on none of the tables', IMHO.
And iI don't think it's a 'triple negative'. There's one 'double negative': 'Nie ma niczego' and one 'single negative': 'na zadnym ze stolów' IMHO 2.
Michal  - | 1865  
18 Feb 2008 /  #7
Africans has a double negative. As for example nie rook nie meaning No smoking.
OP minigolfer  1 | 2  
18 Feb 2008 /  #8
Thanks everyone for your help! You are all a great resource for someone learning Polish. Thank you again!
Ryszard  - | 89  
19 Feb 2008 /  #9
Nie ma nic, na żadnych stołach.

Excuse me, this is polish forum not a russian one, thank you

You are all a great resource for someone learning Polish.

Not all, not all...

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