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 Inuktut, to express the negative, we often insert the affix −nngit− just before the verb ending:
| nuvuja + nngit + tuq = | |
| nuvujanngittuq | It is not cloudy. |
| qanniq + qqau + nngit + tuq = | |
| qanniqqaunngittuq | It did not snow earlier. |
When -nngit- is added to a root that ends in a consonant (q-, k-,-t-), it deletes the final consonant:
| silalut + nngit + tuq = | |
| silalunngittuq | It is not raining. |
| qanniq + lauq + nngit + tuq = | |
| Ippatsaq qannilaunngittuq | It did not snow yesterday. |