не́кого vs никого́

nekogo vs nikogo — no one to do something with vs nobody

What it really means

Не́кого is the stressed не- form meaning that no person is available for a contemplated action. It is common with an infinitive: мне не́кого спросить means “I have no one to ask.” The person is absent as a possible participant, so a second не is not needed.

Никого́ means “nobody” or “anyone” under negation and normally forms negative concord with не: я никого́ не вижу, “I see nobody.” It can be an object or, with a preposition, a person affected by the action. Choose не́кого for no available person to do something with; choose никого́ to deny seeing, knowing, inviting, or meeting anyone.

Examples in natural speech

Мне не́кого попросить о совете.
I have no one to ask for advice.
Ей не́кого встретить на вокзале.
She has no one to meet at the station.
Я никого́ не обвиняю.
I am not accusing anyone.
В комнате никого́ не было.
There was nobody in the room.
Он никого́ не позвал на ужин.
He invited nobody to dinner.

Common mistakes

Do not add не to the usual не́кого + infinitive construction: мне не́кого спросить is correct. Conversely, do not use не́кого for a completed negative event: я никого́ не спросил means I asked nobody. Remember that никого́ changes case as needed.

Memory tip

Не́кого leaves no partner for a planned action; никого́ leaves no person in the completed search.

Frequently asked questions

Why is никого́ stressed differently from не́кого?

The stress helps distinguish the negative-concord pronoun никого́ from the existential no-one-to form не́кого.

Can никого́ be used without не?

Yes in short answers or after нет: Кого ты видел? — Никого́; but a finite negative clause normally has не.

Does не́кого decline?

It has the oblique forms не́кого, не́кому, не́кем, and so on, according to the role in the phrase.

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