diff --git a/src/demo-components/ParserDemo.tsx b/src/demo-components/ParserDemo.tsx
index 81a342f..05785e4 100644
--- a/src/demo-components/ParserDemo.tsx
+++ b/src/demo-components/ParserDemo.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const working = [
   "noun phrases (except participles)",
   "mini-pronouns for shrunken servants",
   "grammar error correction",
+  "negatives",
 ];
 
 const todo = [
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ const examples = [
   "د غټې ماشومې زاړه پلار ولیدم",
   "ستا پخواني ملګري مې ولیدل",
   "ما ډوډۍ خوړله",
+  "وامې نه خیست",
 ];
 
 function ParserDemo({ opts }: { opts: T.TextOptions }) {
diff --git a/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-blocks.ts b/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-blocks.ts
index fd1515d..f4a6f99 100644
--- a/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-blocks.ts
+++ b/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-blocks.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import * as T from "../../../types";
 import { fmapParseResult } from "../fp-ps";
 import { parseKidsSection } from "./parse-kids-section";
+import { parseNeg } from "./parse-negative";
 import { parseNP } from "./parse-np";
 import { parsePH } from "./parse-ph";
 import { parseVerb } from "./parse-verb";
@@ -31,8 +32,9 @@ export function parseBlocks(
     ([ph, v]) => (ph ? [ph, v] : [v]),
     parseVerb(tokens, verbLookup)
   );
+  const neg = fmapParseResult((x) => [x], parseNeg(tokens));
   const kidsR = parseKidsSection(tokens, []);
-  const allResults = [...np, ...ph, ...vb, ...kidsR] as T.ParseResult<
+  const allResults = [...np, ...ph, ...neg, ...vb, ...kidsR] as T.ParseResult<
     T.ParsedBlock[] | { kids: T.ParsedKid[] }
   >[];
   // TODO: is this necessary?
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ export function parseBlocks(
   //   ];
   // }
   return bindParseResult(allResults, (tokens, r) => {
+    const errors: T.ParseError[] = [];
     if ("kids" in r) {
       return {
         next: parseBlocks(tokens, lookup, verbLookup, blocks, [
@@ -65,7 +68,18 @@ export function parseBlocks(
     if (!phMatches(prevPh, vb)) {
       return [];
     }
-    return parseBlocks(tokens, lookup, verbLookup, [...blocks, ...r], kids);
+    // don't allow two negatives
+    if (
+      "type" in r[0] &&
+      r[0].type === "negative" &&
+      blocks.some((b) => "type" in b && b.type === "negative")
+    ) {
+      return [];
+    }
+    return {
+      next: parseBlocks(tokens, lookup, verbLookup, [...blocks, ...r], kids),
+      errors,
+    };
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-negative.ts b/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-negative.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0eec41f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-negative.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import * as T from "../../../types";
+import { returnParseResult } from "./utils";
+
+export function parseNeg(
+  tokens: Readonly<T.Token[]>
+): T.ParseResult<T.NegativeBlock>[] {
+  if (tokens.length === 0) {
+    return [];
+  }
+  const [{ s }, ...rest] = tokens;
+  if (s === "نه") {
+    return returnParseResult(rest, {
+      type: "negative",
+      imperative: false,
+    });
+  }
+  if (s === "مه") {
+    return returnParseResult(rest, {
+      type: "negative",
+      imperative: true,
+    });
+  }
+  return [];
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-vp.ts b/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-vp.ts
index 222fee0..ca6aead 100644
--- a/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-vp.ts
+++ b/src/lib/src/parsing/parse-vp.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ import { isFirstOrSecondPersPronoun } from "../phrase-building/render-vp";
 
 // TODO: transitivity options
 
+// TODO: the و is really making it slow down... why?
+
 export function parseVP(
   tokens: Readonly<T.Token[]>,
   lookup: (s: Partial<T.DictionaryEntry>) => T.DictionaryEntry[],
@@ -46,16 +48,30 @@ export function parseVP(
   }
   const blocks = parseBlocks(tokens, lookup, verbLookup, [], []);
   return bindParseResult(blocks, (tokens, { blocks, kids }) => {
-    const ph = blocks.find((x) => "type" in x && x.type === "PH") as
-      | T.ParsedPH
-      | undefined;
-    const verb = blocks.find((x) => "type" in x && x.type === "VB") as
-      | T.ParsedVBE
-      | undefined;
+    const phIndex = blocks.findIndex((x) => "type" in x && x.type === "PH");
+    const vbeIndex = blocks.findIndex((x) => "type" in x && x.type === "VB");
     const ba = !!kids.find((k) => k === "ba");
+    const negIndex = blocks.findIndex(
+      (x) => "type" in x && x.type === "negative" && !x.imperative
+    );
+    const ph = phIndex !== -1 ? (blocks[phIndex] as T.ParsedPH) : undefined;
+    const verb =
+      vbeIndex !== -1 ? (blocks[vbeIndex] as T.ParsedVBE) : undefined;
+    const negative = negIndex !== -1;
     if (!verb || verb.type !== "VB" || verb.info.type !== "verb") {
       return [];
     }
+    if (
+      !negativeInPlace({
+        neg: negIndex,
+        v: vbeIndex,
+        phIndex: phIndex,
+        ph,
+        kids: !!kids.length,
+      })
+    ) {
+      return [];
+    }
     if (verb.info.aspect === "perfective") {
       // TODO: check that the perfective head is in the right place and actually matches
       if (!ph) {
@@ -77,7 +93,7 @@ export function parseVP(
         : "transitive",
       canChangeTransitivity: false,
       canChangeStatDyn: false,
-      negative: false,
+      negative,
       tense,
       canChangeVoice: true,
       isCompound: false,
@@ -509,3 +525,31 @@ function getTenseFromRootsStems(
     }
   }
 }
+
+function negativeInPlace({
+  neg,
+  v,
+  phIndex,
+  ph,
+  kids,
+}: {
+  neg: number;
+  v: number;
+  phIndex: number;
+  ph: T.ParsedPH | undefined;
+  kids: boolean;
+}): boolean {
+  if (neg === -1) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  if (ph) {
+    if (!kids && !["و", "وا"].includes(ph.s) && neg === phIndex - 1) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    return neg === phIndex + 1;
+  }
+  if (neg < v - 1) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index f43ccf8..d21f194 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -1176,6 +1176,8 @@ export type EntryLookupPortal<X extends VerbEntry | DictionaryEntry> = {
 
 export type EquativeBlock = { type: "equative"; equative: EquativeRendered };
 
+export type NegativeBlock = { type: "negative"; imperative: boolean };
+
 export type Block = {
   key: number;
   block:
@@ -1185,14 +1187,14 @@ export type Block = {
     | Rendered<PredicateSelectionComplete>
     | Rendered<ComplementSelection>
     | Rendered<UnselectedComplementSelection>
-    | { type: "negative"; imperative: boolean }
+    | NegativeBlock
     | EquativeBlock
     | VB
     | VBE
     | VHead;
 };
 
-export type ParsedBlock = ParsedNP | ParsedPH | ParsedVBE;
+export type ParsedBlock = ParsedNP | ParsedPH | ParsedVBE | NegativeBlock;
 
 export type ParsedNP = {
   inflected: boolean;