never
Always with nu on the verb. Position is free; the nu is not.
Nu mă suni niciodată.
You never call me.
Niciodată nu am fost acolo.
I've never been there.
#134 · Adverb
niciodată
In Romanian, niciodată means “never”. It’s the #134 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Meaning & Use
Niciodată is "never", rank 134, invariable — and like every negative word in Romanian it keeps the nu on the verb. Nu merg niciodată reads word for word as "I do not go never", and that double negative is compulsory, not emphatic. It is built from nici plus odată, "not even once".
neutralnever (as a bare answer)
Answering a question with the single word needs no verb, so no nu appears.
— Ai fost la Paris? — Niciodată.
— Have you been to Paris? — Never.
ever (in questions and comparisons)
After a comparative or in a question it slides towards English "ever".
mai bine ca niciodată
better than ever
never again (niciodată nu … mai)
With mai inside the negation it hardens into "never again".
Nu mai fac asta niciodată.
I'll never do that again.
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.
niciodată100%
Patterns
Invariable. It may stand before the verb, after it, or at the end of the clause, and the meaning does not change — only the emphasis. What never changes is the nu on the verb, unless the word is standing alone as a one-word answer.
nu + verb + niciodată
The default order in speech.
Nu mănânc carne niciodată.
I never eat meat.
Niciodată nu + verb
Fronted for emphasis; the nu stays.
Niciodată nu m-a ajutat.
He never once helped me.
ca niciodată
Than ever — after a comparative.
E mai fericită ca niciodată.
She's happier than ever.
vreodată (the positive twin)
Used in questions where English says "ever".
Ai fost vreodată acolo?
Have you ever been there?
Examples
Nu am fost niciodată în Grecia.
I've never been to Greece.
niciodată - The verb keeps nu. Both words are required — one alone is ungrammatical.
Niciodată nu e prea târziu.
It's never too late.
niciodată - Fronted for emphasis, and the nu still appears on the verb. Moving the word does not remove the requirement.
Mai bine mai târziu decât niciodată.
Better late than never.
niciodată - A proverb, and one of the few places the word appears with no verb to negate.
Nu mai vorbesc cu el niciodată.
I'm never speaking to him again.
niciodată - The mai inside the negation adds "again", so the sentence closes the door rather than describing a habit.
— Ai mințit vreodată? — Niciodată.
— Have you ever lied? — Never.
niciodată - Its positive counterpart in the question is vreodată, "ever". As a bare answer no nu is needed.
Do not drop the nu. Nu merg niciodată is correct; *Merg niciodată is not Romanian. The same rule governs nimic, nimeni and nicăieri — in this language two negatives reinforce each other rather than cancelling out.