In Spanish, double negatives are not only correct but often required to reinforce negation. When a negative word (like no) is used before the verb, any other negative element must also be included, creating a double negative.
- Double negatives reinforce, rather than cancel out, the negation.
- If no precedes the verb, other negatives (like nada, nadie, nunca) follow it.
Double negatives are used to reinforce negation.
How Double Negatives Work
When no is placed before the verb, any negative word that corresponds to the meaning must be placed after the verb, creating a double negative. For example:
- No veo nada. (I don't see anything.) — no + nada
- No quiero nunca ir allí. (I never want to go there.) — no + nunca
- No habla con nadie. (He/She does not talk to anyone.) — no + nadie
Correct double negatives are 'No veo nada.' and 'No habla con nadie.'
Negative Words That Commonly Form Double Negatives
| Negative Word | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| no | not | No como nada. | I don’t eat anything. |
| nada | nothing/anything | No quiero nada. | I want nothing. |
| nadie | nobody/anyone | No veo a nadie. | I don’t see anyone. |
| nunca/jamás | never | No llego nunca tarde. | I never arrive late. |
| tampoco | neither/either | No me gusta tampoco. | I don’t like it either. |
'Nadie' means nobody and is used for people in negative contexts.
Positive Use After Negative (tampoco)
When expressing “neither” or “nor,” tampoco is used, and it also participates in double negation:
- No me gusta el café. Tampoco me gusta el té.
(I don’t like coffee. I don’t like tea either.)
'tampoco' means 'neither' or 'not...either' in negative contexts.
Exercises
- Convert to double negative: "I see something" → "I don't see anything."
- Correct or incorrect? "No tengo nunca problemas." (Explain.)
- Translate: "She doesn’t talk to anyone" using double negation.
- How do you say, “We don’t want anything” with double negatives?
- What is the rule for using no with other negative words in Spanish?
Common negative words include nada, nadie, nunca, and no.
The negation is reinforced, not canceled.
Correct examples include 'No veo nada.', 'No hablo con nadie.', and 'No llego nunca tarde.'
'tampoco' means 'neither' or 'not...either' and is used to add a negative idea after a negative statement.
The correct form is 'No como nunca carne.'
Correct pairs are nada, nadie, nunca, jamás, and tampoco.
The correct double negative is 'No quiero nada.'
The correct translation is 'No habla con nadie.'
Use a negative after 'no'—the negatives reinforce each other.
'No entiendo nada.' is correct.
Correct double negatives: No veo nada, No salgo nunca, No conozco a nadie.
Double negatives reinforce the negation.