нету

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic нѣту (nětu) and нѣтъ (nětŭ). From older *не ѥ ту (it is not here), where ту (тут, also colloquial не́туть (nétutĭ)), was originally an ethical dative (-ть (-tĭ), dative -ти (-ti)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnʲetʊ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Particle

не́ту • (nétu)

1. (colloquial) there is no, there are no [with genitive]

   Измене́ний не́ту ― Izmenénij nétu ― There are no changes.

   У меня́ карандаше́й не́ту. ― U menjá karandašéj nétu. ― I have no pencils. (literally, “There are no pencils with me.”)

   • 1958, “Песня о тревожной молодости (Song of the Restless Youth)”, Lev Oshanin (lyrics), Aleksandra Pakhmutova (music)‎^[1]:

     Забота у нас простая,
     Забота наша такая:
     Жила бы страна родная,
     И нету других забот!

     Zabota u nas prostaja,
     Zabota naša takaja:
     Žila by strana rodnaja,
     I netu drugix zabot!

     Our concern is simple;
     our concern is this:
     That our dear country would live,
     and there are no other concerns!

   • 1969, Yuri Entin (lyrics and music), “The Song of The Bremen Town Musicians”:

     Ничего́ на све́те лу́чше не́ту,
     Чем броди́ть друзья́м по бе́лу све́ту.
     Тем, кто дру́жен, не страшны́ трево́ги,
     Нам любы́е до́роги доро́ги,
     Нам любы́е до́роги доро́ги.

     Ničevó na svéte lúčše nétu,
     Čem brodítʹ druzʹjám po bélu svétu.
     Tem, kto drúžen, ne strašný trevógi,
     Nam ljubýje dórogi dorógi,
     Nam ljubýje dórogi dorógi.

     In this world there nothing can be better,
     Than traveling around with friends together.
     Those who've got friends aren't afraid of hassle,
     Every road is dear!
     Every road is dear!

Interjection

не́ту • (nétu)

1. (archaic) no
   • 1833, Pushkin, Yevgeniy Onegin:

     — Ты шутишь? — Нету.

     — Ty šutišʹ? — Netu.

     — Are you joking? — No.

Usage notes

(particle): Listed as colloquial in some modern and late-Soviet dictionaries without a clear reason. Prior to it, was not considered colloquial. Because of its colloquial status in such dictionaries, the word is sometimes even considered as proscribed, and completely avoided by some people, although it is still actively in use.

(interjection): Fell out of use around 1920-s; was a common colloquial word before the Revolution.

Synonyms

• нет (net)

Antonyms

• есть (jestʹ)