No, Never, Not, etc.: Expressing Negation

There are a number of ways to express negation in Spanish.

Here are the most important negative words:

  • no -- no
    nunca/jamás -- never
    nadie -- no one, nobody
    nada -- nothing
    ningún -- not any/nothing/no one
    ni...ni -- neither...nor
    ni siquiera -- not even/nor even


  • No estudio lo suficiente -- I do not study enough

    Nadie lo entiende -- No one understands it

    No es ni vago ni tonto -- He's neither lazy nor stupid

    No ha estudiado ni siquiera ha hecho los deberes -- He hasn't studied nor even done his homework

These words are used very much as in English, with the following important exception: Spanish allows, even encourages, double (or more) negatives:

  • Nadie nunca estudia nada -- No one never studies (nothing) = No one ever studies anything

    Jamás tuvimos ninguna duda -- We never had not any doubt  = We never had any doubt


Negative words can trigger the subjunctive:

  • No hay nadie que pueda arreglarlo -- There isn't no one who can fix it = There isn't anyone who can fix it
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