In English we often use the word not to turn an affirmative sentence into a negative one:
| I am tired. | I am not tired. |
In Nunatsiavummiutitut, to express the negative, we often insert the affix -nngi- just before the verb ending:
| mingutu + nngi + lak = | |
| minngutunngilak | He/she is not tired. |
| Kuviasuk + nngi + tuk = | |
| Kuviasunngituk | He/she is not happy. |
The negative affix -ngit- is often followed by a veb ending that starts with -la:
| Kannik + nngi + lak = | |
| Kanningilak* | It is not snowing. |
| * -nngi- shortens to -ngi- after a double consonant. | |
| anuigik + kKau + ngit + lak = | |
| anugikKaungilak ullâk | It was not windy this morning. |
Here is a complete set of these endings:
| tukisianngilanga | I do not understand. |
| tukisianngilatit | You do not understand. |
| tukisianngilak | He/she does not understand. |
| tukisianngilaguk | We (2) do not understand. |
| tukisianngilatik | You (2) do not understand. |
| tukisianngilâk | They (2) do not understand. |
| tukisianngilagut | We (3+) do not understand. |
| tukisianngilasi | You (3+) do not understand. |
| tukisianngilat | They (3+) do not understand. |
Note that the negative affix -ngit- deletes a consonant sound that comes immediately before it :
| silalu + lât + nngi + lak = | |
| Kauppat silalulânngilâk | It will not rain tomorrow. |