る - Verbs (negative-past tense)
Examples:
Casual
食べる+ なかった
見る+ なかった
寝る+ なかったFormal
食べる+ ませんでした
食べる+ なかった です見
る+ ませんでした
見る+ なかった です寝
る+ ませんでした
寝る+ なかった です
この映画は見なかった。
I didn’t watch this movie.
I replied this review with この映画は見たことがない, but my answer was not accepted. I understand it wasn’t the correct grammar point and that both would have different nuances, but is my translation wrong?
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It’s a slight difference in nuance!
見なかった is just saying that you didn’t watch the movie, a flat statement. Nothing else.
見たことがない focuses on the fact that you haven’t watched the movie. While it seems similar, the nuance here is that seeing that movie is important or relevant to the conversation.
Depending on the context, it could be as if you were talking about movies, and you said (a bit literally) that you haven’t had the experience of watching that movie, implying it’s something you reckon you ought do or plan to.
Hope this helps!
3 Likes
I see!
I was thinking something along those lines. Like, 見なかった being “I didn’t watch this movie that came out just last week”, and 見たことがない being more like “I have never watched this classic movie from the 90s”, similar to your example of “not having the experience of watching it”
Thanks!
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Happy to help! Good luck with your studies!
1 Like