Let not them work

Question

Let not them work or don’t let them work

Let them work (déjalos trabajar)

But my doubt is in these two negative sentences:

Let not them work = ¿deja que no trabajen?

Don’t let them work = ¿no dejes que trabajen?

Which of them is correct? Let not them work or don’t let them work. Also, I am not sure about translation of they both.

Answer 1

Hi Nila.

"Don’t let them work" is correct.

"Let not them work" makes no sense in English.

Yea...that is kinda Yodaish. - ChamacoMalo, Sep 18, 2009

jejeje...funny! - --Mariana--, Sep 18, 2009

Answer 2

These examples from that document are all incorrect. I have put the correct sentence in parentheses.

1. Let not us be (Let's not be)
2. Let not him be (Do not let him be)
3. Let not them be (Do not let them be)
4. Let not him have (Do not let him have)
5. Let not them have (Do not let them have)
6. Let not us have (Let's not have)
7. Let not him work (Don't let him work)
8. Let not us work (Let's not work)
9. Let not them work (Don't let them work)

Note that "do not" and "don't" are interchangeable.

Answer 3

Desculpe ... no permitas que trabajen ... translated: do not allow them to work / don't let them work.

Espero que esto le haya ayudado

Answer 4

I would say no permites que trabajen ... do not allow that they work (subjunctive)

Espero que esto le haya ayudado

Answer 5

¿No dejes que trabajen? = Don’t let them work. (straightforward)

¿Deja que no trabajen? = Let them not work.

This one is a bit of a problem. The English is correct but you will probably never hear it said. Some other (more colloquial/current) phrasings: "Give them some time off." "Give them a break." (This is ambiguous, it could also mean "¡Perdónales!¨ or ¨¡No seas tan severo/exiigente con ellos!¨) "Allow them to not work." (somewhat unusual but less so than "Let them not work.") Even (with completely different syntax) "So what if they're unemployed?" Echoing Marie Antoinette (and supposing that someone had told her that the peasants were overworked) one might accept "Let them not work."

Let not them work

Remotely possible but so unusual that many would (as you've seen) label it as "unintelligible". This degree of flexibility was present in English 400-500 years ago but not anymore. However, even then, it would not have meant what you suggested. It would, instead, have been equivalent to the modern "Don't let them work."

Answer 6

It is worrying because this very same information is in other documents with other different names on the Internet. I would give you another link where it appears but I think it is not worth doing it. I think they cut and paste from any website and that is all. Here you are.

Yes, that's terrible. I feel bad that people who are learning English can get such bad information. - --Mariana--, Sep 18, 2009

Answer 7

Really? How many mistakes? .

Answer 8

"Let not them work" is grammatically correct, it's just really archaic. We spoke like that maybe two hundred years ago.

"Don't let them work" or "Do not let them work" would be proper for modern English.

By the way, you would be understood no matter how you said it, but people would definitely mark you as foreign if you said, "Let not them work" so it is better not to say it that way.

She would not have been understood if she said "Let not them work." - --Mariana--, Sep 18, 2009

I fear I must disagree. I think most people could figure it out. She's just negating "let them work." - webdunce, Sep 18, 2009

Nila is an advance speaker of English and she'd be horrified to sound so weird saying "let not them work." Maybe to someone desperate to communicate could be understood but it's not proper English (by today's standards). - --Mariana--, Sep 18, 2009

Oh, I agree with that. I'm not recommending its usage. I'm merely point out that it is not beyond comprehension. - webdunce, Sep 18, 2009

Yes, you're right. - --Mariana--, Sep 18, 2009

Answer 9

I have not had a closer look at the page, but it is definetly not recommendable, this does it:

Resultado de la búsqueda: lista de verbos en ingles en jerundio

Right on the first page.

Answer 10

Thank you, Marianne. I was suspecting that some notes on the Internet were not correct. If you look for "let not them work" in brackets on the Internet, you will see the document. I knew that it could be wrong.

You're right. I see many errors in that document. http://www.xuletas.es/ficha/verbos-en-ingles-1/ - --Mariana--, Sep 18, 2009

Answer 11

No los permitten a trabajar. Ellos no tienen derecho a trabajar. Ello no pueden trabajar aqui. Again...there's like a bizzion quadrillion ways to say a thing!