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οὐ

ou

G3756 adverb

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary meaning: an adverb expressing strong, objective negation, typically preceding a verb or statement to denote the absolute denial or contradiction of an assertion or question. Semantic range includes explicit denial of fact or existence, negation of predicates, or emphatic rejection, often distinguished from μή (mē), which indicates subjective, potential, or conditional negation.

Semantic Range

factual negation, absolute denial, contradiction of assertion, negation of existence, emphatic rejection (in compounds: no one, nothing, nor, never)

Root / Etymology

etymology uncertain; considered a primary element of Greek negative adverbial formation, not obviously derived from other Greek roots; distinguished from μή (mē) as the two principal Greek negatives.

Historical & Contextual Notes

οὐ (ou) is the standard word in Greek for objective negation, first datable to the Mycenaean period (Linear B: 'wo'), found throughout all layers of Greek. It is always used in statements of fact, direct questions expecting a 'yes' answer, and in contexts where a factual assertion is being explicitly denied. It precedes the verb or the word it negates. Contrasted with μή (mē), which expresses subjective, potential, or prohibitive negation (used in wishes, commands, or conditions). In Koine Greek, as in Classical, οὐ forms compounds such as οὐδείς ('no one'), οὐδέ ('not even', 'nor'), and is intensified (οὐ μὴ) in emphatic statements ('certainly not'). In biblical contexts, English translations render οὐ as 'not', 'no', or similar absolute negatives. Later translation traditions sometimes merge or blur the distinction between οὐ and μή, but in the New Testament and LXX, the nuance is generally preserved. Its use is entirely grammatical and devoid of theological specifics. The phrase οὐ μή indicates strong/emphatic denial or future impossibility ('never', 'by no means').

Translation Consistency

primary "not" 1618 occurrences

οὐ is the strong, objective negation in Greek and is most naturally and consistently rendered in English as 'not'. It is by far the dominant English form in the corpus (1612/1625 occurrences), captures the primary semantic range (factual/absolute denial, negation of predicates/existence, emphatic rejection), and is the most natural choice for uniform translation across all forms and contexts. Occasional English variants like 'no' or idiomatic negatives can be handled contextually, but 'not' provides consistent, unambiguous base wording.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"no" (7x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary word; the absolute negative (compare μή) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but. See also οὐ μή, μῆκος.

Root Family

οὐ (ou) — not, no, absolute negation

Root οὐ- not, no, absolute negation

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3756-03 οὐκ ouk ADV not not not 827
G3756-01 οὐ ou ADV not not not 695
G3756-02 οὐχ ouch T not not not 105

Occurrences in Scripture

1627 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3756-03 Matthew 1:25 οὐκ ouk ADV not not not
G3756-03 Matthew 2:18 οὐκ ouk ADV not not not
G3756-03 Matthew 2:18 οὐκ ouk-2 ADV not not not
G3756-03 Matthew 3:11 οὐκ ouk ADV not not not
G3756-03 Matthew 4:4 οὐκ ouk PART not not not
G3756-03 Matthew 4:7 οὐκ ouk ADV not not not
G3756-01 Matthew 5:14 οὐ ou ADV not not not
G3756-03 Matthew 5:17 οὐκ ouk PART not not not
G3756-01 Matthew 5:18 οὐ ou ADV not not not
G3756-01 Matthew 5:20 οὐ ou ADV not not not
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