# לעולם לא/מעולם לא/אף פעם



## dukaine

I was practicing on Duolingo and got this sentence to translate:

I never buy green chairs.

The answer was אני אף פעם קונה כיסאות ירוקים. I thought that לעולם לא would be the better choice because I thought that referred to somthing more continuous and אף פעם was more of a one time thing, like "I've never bought green chairs before".  I think מעולם לא is used for the past, like "I never bought green chairs."

Am I wrong about that?


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## slus

You're basically correct, but אף פעם is the right answer.
It's like saying I never buy green chairs, not even once, not ever.
מעולם לא קניתי כיסאות ירוקים means I never bought green chairs.
לעולם לא אקנה כיסאות ירוקים means I will never buy green chairs.
Thou can also say אני לעולם לא קונה כיסאות ירוקים, but it's not what a native speaker would usually say.


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## LXNDR

slus said:


> Thou can also say אני לעולם לא קונה כיסאות ירוקים,



Will אני *מעולם* לא קונה be also correct? Like implying not doing this since the day one was born


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## slus

No. מעולם is in the past.


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## amikama

slus is right. מעולם in the present/future is a common mistake.

By the way, after אף פעם there should be לא:
אני אף פעם לא קונה כיסאות ירוקים


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## LXNDR

amikama said:


> slus is right. מעולם in the present/future is a common mistake.



In the phrase אני לעולם לא קונה כיסאות ירוקים what tense is implied by the participle (beynoni), present proper or future?


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## amikama

I think it's similar to English "I never buy green chairs". A "general" present tense.


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## dukaine

slus said:


> You're basically correct, but אף פעם is the right answer.
> It's like saying I never buy green chairs, not even once, not ever.
> מעולם לא קניתי כיסאות ירוקים means I never bought green chairs.
> לעולם לא אקנה כיסאות ירוקים means I will never buy green chairs.
> Thou can also say אני לעולם לא קונה כיסאות ירוקים, but it's not what a native speaker would usually say.



Thanks so much!


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## dukaine

amikama said:


> By the way, after אף פעם there should be לא:
> אני אף פעם לא קונה כיסאות ירוקים



Thanks for that correction!


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## LXNDR

amikama said:


> I think it's similar to English "I never buy green chairs". A "general" present tense.



OK


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