Negation & Negative Words

Introduction

Making sentences negative in Spanish is straightforward — just put no before the verb. But Spanish also has a system of negative words (nunca, nada, nadie…) that interact with no in ways that are different from English. Most notably, double negatives are correct in Spanish.

Basic Negation with No

Place no directly before the conjugated verb:

• Hablo español. → No hablo español. (I don't speak Spanish.)
• Ella tiene un gato. → Ella no tiene un gato. (She doesn't have a cat.)
• Vamos al cine. → No vamos al cine. (We're not going to the movies.)

No "don't/doesn't": Spanish has no helper verb. No does all the work: No quiero = I don't want.

With object pronouns

No goes before the pronoun, which goes before the verb:

• No lo sé. — I don't know (it).
• No me gusta. — I don't like it.
• No te preocupes. — Don't worry.

Negative Words (Palabras Negativas)

Double Negatives Are Correct

In Spanish, when a negative word comes after the verb, you must also use no before the verb:

• No tengo nada. — I don't have anything. / I have nothing.
• No viene nadie. — Nobody is coming.
• No voy nunca. — I never go.

When the negative word comes before the verb, no is not needed:

• Nada tengo. — I have nothing.
• Nadie viene. — Nobody is coming.
• Nunca voy. — I never go.

Both patterns are correct. The "no + verb + negative word" pattern is more common in everyday speech.

Using Each Negative Word

Nada (nothing)

• No quiero nada. — I don't want anything.
• No pasó nada. — Nothing happened.
• ¿Nada más? — Nothing else?

Nadie (nobody)

• No conozco a nadie. — I don't know anyone.
• Nadie sabe la respuesta. — Nobody knows the answer.

Note: When nadie is a direct object, it needs the personal a: No vi a nadie.

Nunca / Jamás (never)

• No he ido nunca a España. — I've never been to Spain.
• Nunca llueve aquí. — It never rains here.
• Jamás lo olvidaré. — I'll never forget it. (Jamás is more emphatic.)

Ninguno/a (none, not any)

Shortens to ningún before a masculine singular noun:

• No tengo ningún problema. — I don't have any problem.
• No hay ninguna respuesta. — There is no answer.
• Ninguno de mis amigos vino. — None of my friends came.

Note: Ninguno is almost always singular in Spanish, even when English uses "none" with a plural sense.

Tampoco (neither, not either)

• Yo no voy. — Yo tampoco. — I'm not going. — Me neither.
• Tampoco me gusta. — I don't like it either.

Ni…ni (neither…nor)

• No tengo ni tiempo ni dinero. — I have neither time nor money.
• Ni ella ni yo sabemos la respuesta. — Neither she nor I know the answer.

Practice