These grammar rule standardizes how to use the various forms of the negative prefix. However, some speakers use nu and ne interchangeably, as suggested by the original grammar guide and by various words in the dictionary.
If your local dialect has a different way of using these markers, follow that dialect's grammar rules.
Add the negative particle nu (n’ before a vowel) before a verb to mean “to not do [action].” Do not attach the negative particle to the verb. Example: Ni nu taabi. (I do not march.)
Add the negative particle nu (n’ before a vowel) before a pronoun, conjunction, or preposition to mean “not [word].” Do not attach the negative particle to the word. Example: Ibac cetar nu ner. (That boot is not mine.)
To command someone to not do something, use ke nu instead of ke; see the Commands section for details on how to construct commands.
Link the negative particle ne (n’ before a vowel) with a beten before a noun or descriptor to indicate the opposite of the word (similar to the use of “un-,” “non-,” "anti-," "il-, "etc. in English). Example: Kaysh baar shaadla ne’mav. (Their body moves not-freely/involuntarily.)
Commands: For a negative imperative (such as "don't do"), use ke nu; this can be formal or informal. Never attach this to the next word, and never contract it with a word starting with a vowel. Note that some dialects include the beten and use ke’nu instead; the original author used it both ways in different examples. Example: Ke nu taabi. (Do not march.)
Tenses: Put the tense particle (ru, ven) in front of the negative particle (ne, nu, n'). Do not attach the negative particle with a beten to the tense particle regardless of which one you are using (unless your favorite dialect specifies otherwise). Examples: Ni ru nu taabi. (I did not march.) Ni ven nu taabi. (I will not march.)
Questions: Include the negative particle in front of the verb, as is done for a statement. Do not include the negative particle before the question particle, or attach it before or after the question particle (unless your favorite dialect specifies otherwise). Example: Tion nu taabi? (Do not march?)
To indicate something is "not" something else, use nu cuyir (to not be). This is a case where including cuyir (to be) is important, to make sure that someone does not mistake the role that the negative particle is playing and to help make the meaning of sentence is clear. Example: Val nu cuyi verde. They are not warriors.
To indicate that someone doesn't have anything of something, use nu ganar (to not have). Example: Val nu gana kade. (They don't have swords.)
To indicate that someone has nothing, use the pronoun naas (nothing, none).
In all cases, if the word already starts with ne or nu, find a different way of expressing the sentiment.
Some other examples (the translations back into English will sound oddly worded, which makes sense if Mando'a is an alien language):
no place to run: taap viinir nu cuyi.
no place like home: yaim jatne taap (home is the best place); ashi taape nu cuyi sa yaim (other places are not like home).
Attach the prefix dar to a word to indicate that something is “no longer” what it once was or that the action is no longer happening. Example: Bic dar’shaadla. (It no longer moves. It has stopped moving.)
Note that dar does not itself have negative connotations in the culture (darasuum is a positive concept, while arasuum is not), but it can turn something positive (such as buir) into something negative (in this case, dar'buir).
Use the word draar to indicated that something “never” happens. Example: Ni draar partayli luubid miite. (I never remember enough words.)
This section is fan speculation based the dictionary entry for nu draar. Your preferred dialect might have different grammar rules.
Introduction: The definition of nu draar contains this note: "Mandos use double negatives for emphasis." What exactly the original author had in mind for this grammar rule is unclear. Thus, these rules on this page are intended to take this information and provide better guidelines for what constitutes a negative word and how to use the double negative. They were constructed after an examination of over a dozen sample sentences and trying to keep the recommended rules as straightforward and consistent as possible across the most number of potential use cases.
Only ne and nu may be used as intensifiers for negative words, with one exception — when used in combination with the command particle, it always means “do not."
Negative particles and verbs: A negative particle in front of a verb never creates a negative concord, regardless of the object of the verb or the nature of the verb. Instead, if the object or verb is a negative word, then the negative particle serves to indicate the situation is not “all or nothing,” that the situation involves a spectrum of details. Example: Naasade nu nakar'mi. Nobody really doesn’t know (equivalent to: “Seriously! Why are you wasting my time with your questions?”)
Negative particle and other words: A negative particle in front of another negative particle, in front of a negative adjective, or in front of a negative noun creates negative concord. That is, translate the first negative particle instead as an appropriate intensifier. Examples: nu draar is "never ever,” nu naas is “nothing at all,” or nu dar is “no longer and never will be." When using a negative particle as an intensifier, match the version of the negative particle with the one already used. Do not split the negative particle and the word it is intensifying; keep them next to each other (otherwise, they no longer intensify each other). Example: Val ne ne’mesh’la. They are extremely not beautiful (equivalent to: “They should not be called beautiful.”)
Negative command: If the negative command particle (ke nu) is used in a sentence with any other negative word, this is always translated as the command form of "do not." It does not serve as an intensifier. Likewise, do not introduce additional negative particles into a negative-command statement; keep it straightforward.
See here for researcher's notes for the double-negative rules.