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Which one of the following sentences is correct?

  1. Can you buy thіs magazіnе for mе? І sее іt nowhеrе.
  2. Can you buy thіs magazіnе for mе? І can't sее іt anywhеrе.

The first one seems a bit odd to me. I've already seen this question: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/61124/when-to-use-nowhere-and-when-not-anywhere, but it wasn't helpful

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    How is that question not helpful? user36815’s answer to that question answers your question exactly: both are correct and mean the same thing. What more is it that you’re not sure of?
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 13:16
  • The first is technically correct but, as you say, "odd".
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 13:21
  • Well, yes - both do mean the same thing, but the first example is not at all idiomatic. It's hard to define why you would always use 'not anywhere' in the context of an unsuccessful search. I suppose it implies that you have looked in all the places you can think of and the object wasn't in any of them.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 13:49
  • Thank you, @KateBunting! The concept of an unsuccessful search makes sense.
    – dodbrian
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 14:20
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    Oh, come on; it's obvious what the OP wants to know, i.e. whether the use of verbal negation or non-verbal negation affects the 'correctness' of the example. You're right @dodbrian, they are both grammatically correct, but the first one is not natural, not idiomatic. Nothing to get all bent out of shape over.
    – BillJ
    Commented Jan 28, 2017 at 14:54

2 Answers 2

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Both are technically correct, but the first is rarely used, if ever. Maybe someone might say "I can see it nowhere", but even that sounds odd. One way of saying with nowhere is quite fine however:

"Can you buy thіs magazіnе for mе?" I'm sorry, but it is nowhеrе to be found."

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  • it's not anywhere I've looked. :)
    – Lambie
    Commented Jan 29, 2017 at 16:24
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'І sее іt nowhеrе' is so unlikely, you should discount it.

'І can't sее іt anywhеrе' is exactly what most of us would expect.

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    Please edit to include an explanation of why this is correct; answers without explanation do not teach the patterns of the language well. See the Submitting Answers that merely answer the question discussion on meta.
    – Nathan Tuggy
    Commented Feb 10, 2017 at 1:36
  • "I see it nowhere" is used quite commonly. It shouldn't be discounted.
    – Chenmunka
    Commented Feb 10, 2017 at 9:23
  • I see what you mean and I think you're mistaken, but anyone's welcome to vote on that. 'It was nowhere to be seen' is fairly common and I don't think idiom gets much closer to 'I see it nowhere.' Sorry I can't cite examples of non-use…
    – Robbie Goodwin
    Commented Feb 11, 2017 at 19:32

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