Basic Negation with "No"
The simplest and most common way to negate a sentence in Spanish is by placing no before the verb. This negates the entire sentence or the verb it precedes.
No como carne.
No koh-moh kar-neh.
I do not eat meat.
No quiero ir al cine.
No kyeh-roh eer al see-neh.
I don't want to go to the cinema.
Note that no always comes directly before the conjugated verb in the sentence.
Double Negation in Spanish
Unlike English, Spanish often uses double negation, where no is used with other negative words. This is grammatically correct and emphasizes the negation.
No veo a nadie.
No beh-oh ah nah-dyeh.
I don't see anybody.
No tengo nada.
No tehn-goh nah-dah.
I don't have anything.
In these examples, no negates the verb, and nadie or nada reinforce the negation.
Negation with "Nadie" (Nobody)
Nadie means "nobody" or "no one." It is used to negate people in sentences and is usually paired with no before the verb.
No hay nadie en la casa.
No ai nah-dyeh en lah kah-sah.
There is nobody in the house.
No conozco a nadie aquí.
No koh-nohs-koh ah nah-dyeh ah-kee.
I don’t know anybody here.
Nadie can also be used at the start of a sentence without no, but in that case, the verb remains negative.
Nadie vino a la fiesta.
Nah-dyeh vee-noh ah lah fyes-tah.
Nobody came to the party.
Negation with "Nunca" (Never)
Nunca means "never" and expresses that something does not happen at any time. It is another common negative word used with no.
No voy nunca al gimnasio.
No voy noon-kah al heem-nah-syoh.
I never go to the gym.
Nunca he visitado España.
Noon-kah eh vee-see-tah-doh Eh-spah-nyah.
I have never visited Spain.
Note: Sometimes nunca can start the sentence without no, but the meaning stays negative.
Negation with "Nada" (Nothing)
Nada means "nothing" and is used to negate objects or things. It usually appears with no before the verb.
No veo nada.
No beh-oh nah-dah.
I don’t see anything.
No tengo nada que decir.
No tehn-goh nah-dah keh deh-seer.
I have nothing to say.
Nada can also be used as a pronoun or adverb in negative sentences.
Negation with "Ni" (Neither/Nor)
Ni is used to connect two or more negative elements and means "neither" or "nor." It often appears after no or in sentences without no as well.
No quiero ni café ni té.
No kyeh-roh nee kah-feh nee teh.
I want neither coffee nor tea.
Ni come ni bebe.
Nee koh-meh nee beh-beh.
He neither eats nor drinks.
Ni can be repeated for emphasis when listing multiple negative items.
| Phrase | Translation |
|---|---|
| No quiero ni café ni té ni jugo. | I want neither coffee nor tea nor juice. |
Practice Examples
Try identifying the negation structures in these sentences and translate them to English.
No tengo ningún libro.
No tehn-goh neen-goon lee-broh.
I don’t have any book.
Nunca salgo tarde.
Noon-kah sahl-goh tar-deh.
I never leave late.
No habla con nadie.
No ah-blah kon nah-dyeh.
He doesn’t talk to anyone.
No quiero ni pizza ni hamburguesa.
No kyeh-roh nee peet-sah nee am-bur-geh-sah.
I want neither pizza nor hamburger.
No veo nada en la caja.
No beh-oh nah-dah en lah kah-hah.
I don’t see anything in the box.
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Always place no before the verb to negate it.
- Use double negation freely: no + negative words (nadie, nada, nunca) are correct and common.
- Remember that ni connects multiple negative elements and can be repeated for emphasis.
- Negative words like nadie, nada, and nunca can sometimes start a sentence without no, but the meaning remains negative.
- Practice listening and reading to get used to natural negation patterns in Spanish.
With practice, negation in Spanish will become intuitive and natural!