Learn the core negative words and all forms of ninguno without padding the grammar set.
No, ni, tampoco and nada in Spanish
No normally goes before the verb: no sé. Tampoco means not either; ni connects negative alternatives.
Nada means nothing. After the verb it usually accompanies no: no veo nada. Before the verb, it supplies the negation itself: nada cambia.
Nobody and never in Spanish
Nadie means nobody or no one. Nunca and jamás both mean never, with jamás often sounding more emphatic.
Spanish negative agreement does not cancel the negative meaning: no viene nadie still means nobody comes. Compare time modifiers in Spanish adverbs.
Ninguno, ninguna and ningún in Spanish
Use ningún before a masculine singular noun: ningún libro. Use ninguno when the noun is absent, and ninguna with feminine nouns.
Plural ningunos/ningunas is uncommon, mainly with plural-only nouns or emphasis, such as ningunas ganas. These are inflected forms of one negative word, not extra synonyms.
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Quick answer: no / not is no, nor / neither (connector) is ni, not either is tampoco, and nothing is nada.
| English | Spanish | Say it | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| no / not | no | NOH | |
| nor / neither (connector) | ni | NEE | |
| not either | tampoco | tahm-POH-koh | |
| nothing | nada | NAH-dah |
| English | Spanish | Say it | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| nobody / no one | nadie | NAH-dyeh | |
| never | nunca | NOON-kah | |
| never (emphatic) | jamás | hah-MAHS |
| English | Spanish | Say it | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| none / not one (masculine; stands alone) | ninguno | neen-GOO-noh | |
| none / no (feminine singular) | ninguna | neen-GOO-nah | |
| no / not any (before masculine singular noun) | ningún | neen-GOON | |
| no / not any (masculine plural; uncommon) | ningunos | neen-GOO-nohs | |
| no / not any (feminine plural; uncommon) | ningunas | neen-GOO-nahs |
No, nada, nadie, nunca, jamás, tampoco, ni and ninguno are core negative words. Ninguno changes form according to its noun and position.
Yes. No tengo nada is standard Spanish and means I have nothing; the two negatives reinforce one negative meaning.
A negative word placed before the verb can supply the negation: nadie vino or nunca voy. When it follows the verb, no is normally needed: no vino nadie.
Ningún goes before a masculine singular noun, as in ningún libro. Ninguno usually stands alone when that noun is omitted.
Yes, but they are uncommon. They mainly occur with plural-only or expressive nouns and in emphatic negatives, such as ningunas ganas.
Tampoco means not either or neither in responses and additions. Ni connects negative alternatives, as in ni café ni té.
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Updated · Pronunciation guides use Latin American Spanish.