94831
This seems so basic, and yet it's been on my mind for a while. Standalone, it
seems very straightforward: ない{HL}, しない{LHH}, いない{LHH}. But what about their
pitch accent when used as subsidiary verbs or in conjunction with other words?

I feel like I've been hearing and saying しないほうが{LHLLLL}
([1](https://youtu.be/QDcdAbrk6SI?t=63),
[2](https://youtu.be/iD0mwRvqtAg?t=165),
[3](https://youtu.be/vyGV3-CKZZM?t=491),
[4](https://youtu.be/qj_RBxrrIS0?t=390)), but is my auditory perception
correct?

Also since it comes from ていない, should it be てない{LHH} or てない{HHH} depending on
the preceding verb? I feel like I hear 買ってない(かってない{LHHHL}) or
買っていない(かっていない{LHHHHL}). Am I mishearing it?

  * [5](https://youtu.be/rRVZZTpuGxY?t=503) (I'd also like to ask if he says かったんですけども{LHHLLLLLL}, namely it drops on ん/の, right? I think that's how I hear and use it, but I'm double-checking to make sure my ears work)
  * [6](https://youtu.be/MneQlgeBSHE?t=535)
  * [7](https://youtu.be/gNf6jDXyvV4?t=665)
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2022-06-05T07:48:38.150
94823
2022-06-05T13:12:43.153
30454
question
pitch-accent
ない pitch accent
> I feel like I've been hearing and saying しないほうが{LHLLLL} (1, 2, 3, 4), but is
> my auditory perception correct?

No, the correct accent is しないほうが{LHHHLL}. However, due to the general
downsloping tendency of human articulation, the mora where accent kernel lies
(or downstep occurs; in this case, ほ) is not always the highest point of
phonetic pitch. You can test the fact on [this
page](https://www.gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/phrasing/index) and listen to
the synthetic voice.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9EHpJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9EHpJ.png)

> I feel like I hear 買ってない(かってない{LHHHL}) or 買っていない(かっていない{LHHHHL}). Am I
> mishearing it?

No, this time you are correct. As NHKアクセント新辞典 does not provide the accent
pattern of ～ていない, below is based on my personal introspection.

In usual circumstance, Vていない has accent on な if V is not accented, and may or
may not have accent on な if V is accented. (When an accent phrase contains
consecutive downsteps you can no more use the two level notation.)

> 買う{LH} > 買っていない{LHHHHL}  
>  会う{HL} > 会っていない{HLLLLL} or 会ꜜっていなꜜい

However, when the verb is qualifying a noun, the accent is flattened.
Alternatively you can break the accent phrase in the middle like
買って{LHH}いない{LHH}～ and 会って{HLL}いない{LHH}～.

> 買っていない先生（かっていないせんせい{LHHHHHHHHL}）  
>  会っていない先生（あっていないせんせい{HLLLLLLHHL}）

The contracted Vてない form always has accent on な.

> 買ってない先生（かってないせんせい{LHHHLLHHL}）  
>  会ってない先生（あꜜってなꜜい‌せんせい{LHHL}）

(You may also hear あってないせんせい{HLLLLLHHL} but I don't speak like that.)
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2022-06-05T13:12:43.153
94831
2022-06-05T13:12:43.153
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94823
answer