neither / nor (me neither)
The reply to a negative statement. Nici eu is the exact counterpart of Și eu for a positive one.
Nici eu.
Me neither.
Nici el nu vine.
He isn't coming either.
#85 · Adverb
nici
In Romanian, nici means “neither / nor (me neither)”. It’s the #85 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
Nici is the negative twin of și. Where și adds ("me too"), nici subtracts ("me neither"). Rank 85, invariable, and like every negative word in Romanian it keeps the nu on the verb: Nici eu nu știu. Doubled, nici … nici gives "neither … nor", and nici măcar gives "not even".
neutralneither … nor (nici … nici)
Doubled, joining two rejected options. The verb still carries nu.
Nu vreau nici ceai, nici cafea.
I want neither tea nor coffee.
not even (nici măcar)
nici măcar, or bare nici before a striking small quantity.
Nici măcar nu a sunat.
He didn't even call.
Nu am nici un leu.
I don't have a single leu.
no / not a (niciun, nicio)
Written as one word before a noun, and agreeing with it: niciun om, nicio idee.
Nu am nicio idee.
I have no idea.
Forms you’ll actually hear
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
nici100%
Patterns
Invariable, and it always comes in front of the word it negates. Before a noun it fuses into niciun / nicio and then agrees with that noun. As a bare answer (Nici eu) it needs no verb, so no nu; in a full clause the nu is obligatory.
nici + pronoun (as a reply)
The negative counterpart of și eu — "me neither".
Nici noi.
Us neither.
nici … nici …
Neither … nor, with the verb still negated.
Nu e nici cald, nici frig.
It's neither warm nor cold.
nici măcar
Not even — the emphatic minimum.
Nici măcar nu a încercat.
He didn't even try.
niciun / nicio + noun
Written as one word, agreeing with the noun.
Nu am niciun motiv.
I have no reason.
Examples
Nici eu nu știu.
I don't know either.
nici - The verb keeps nu even though nici is already negative. Both are required — this is the rule that governs the whole negative family.
— Nu-mi place. — Nici mie.
— I don't like it. — Me neither.
nici - As a bare reply there is no verb, so no nu appears. Note the dative mie, matching the dative îmi in the first line.
Nu am nici bani, nici timp.
I have neither money nor time.
nici - The doubled pattern. Romanian repeats nici before each item, where English switches to "nor".
Nici măcar nu m-a văzut.
He didn't even see me.
nici măcar - nici măcar is the fixed "not even". The object clitic m- contracts in front of the auxiliary a.
Nu am nicio problemă.
I have no problem at all.
nicio - Before a noun it is written as one word and agrees: nicio for feminine, niciun for masculine.
Do not drop the nu. Nici eu nu vin is correct; *Nici eu vin is not. Romanian negation stacks — nu, nici, nimic, nimeni and niciodată reinforce one another instead of cancelling out, which is the opposite of the rule English teaches.