Negatives in Spanish turn an affirmative sentence into its opposite, and small word changes signal what is denied. This guide covers the main negative words and how they work in typical sentences.
Basic Negative Words
The most common negative word is no, which goes before the verb to cancel an action. Other negative words like nunca, nadie, and nada add specific kinds of denial and usually follow no.
no
Use no immediately before the conjugated verb to make a simple negative sentence. This small placement change keeps the sentence clear and natural.
| Spanish Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| No hablo español. | I don't speak Spanish. | |
| No como carne. | I don't eat meat. |
I buy bread at the store. → I don't buy bread at the store.
nunca
Nunca means "never" and denies that an action happens at any time. It can go before or after no depending on emphasis.
| Spanish Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Nunca llego tarde. | I never arrive late. | |
| No llego nunca tarde. | I don't ever arrive late. |
nadie
Nadie means "nobody" or "no one" and is used to deny people. When nadie is the subject, no usually comes before the verb; when it is after, no comes first.
| Spanish Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| Nadie vino a la fiesta. | No one came to the party. | |
| No vino nadie a la fiesta. | Nobody came to the party. |
nada
Nada means "nothing" and denies things or actions. Like nadie, it can appear as the subject or after no for slightly different emphasis.
| Spanish Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| No veo nada. | I don't see anything. | |
| Nada es imposible. | Nothing is impossible. |
Double Negatives
Spanish allows double negatives for emphasis, so no plus another negative word strengthens the denial rather than canceling it. This is natural and common in everyday speech.
Negative Words
Here are other useful negative words that specify more precise denials, such as "not even", "nowhere", or "neither". They follow the same patterns of placement with no.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| jamás | never | |
| ninguno / ninguna | none | |
| tampoco | neither / not either | |
| ni | not even / nor | |
| jamás | never | |
| ningún / ninguna | no / none | |
| tampoco | neither / not either | |
| ni | not even / nor | |
| jamás | never | |
| ningún / ninguna | no / none | |
| tampoco | neither / not either | |
| ni | not even / nor |
Summary
Negatives turn an affirmative into a denial using no plus words like nunca, nadie, and nada. Double negatives reinforce the negative meaning. Learn the common negative words and practice their typical placement for natural-sounding sentences.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025