In Spanish, it is common and grammatically correct to use more than one negative word in a sentence. This rule differs from English, where double negatives often create a positive meaning or are considered incorrect. In Spanish, all negative elements reinforce the negation.

Spanish Negative Words

Spanish Negative Word	Meaning	Example in Spanish	Example in English	Example in Spanish Sentence	Example in English Sentence
no	not	No	Not	No tengo dinero.	I do not have money.
nada	nothing	Nada	Nothing	No veo nada.	I do not see anything (nothing).
nadie	no one	Nadie	No one	Nadie vino.	No one came.
nunca	never	Nunca	Never	Nunca salgo tarde.	I never leave late.
jamás	never (stronger)	Jamás	Never (stronger)	Jamás lo haré.	I will never do it.
tampoco	neither, not either	Tampoco	Neither	Yo no voy, y tú tampoco.	I am not going, and you neither.

Formation Rules

Use no before the verb and include other negative words after the verb.
Do not use no if the sentence begins with another negative word.
All negative words contribute to the negative meaning; the sentence is never positive.

Examples

Spanish Example	English Example	Notes
No veo a nadie.	I do not see anyone.	Use no + verb + nadie (no one).
Nunca veo nada.	I never see anything.	Use nunca + verb + nada (nothing).
Nadie nunca llega temprano.	No one ever arrives early.	Multiple negatives before and after the verb.
No escribo nunca cartas.	I never write letters.	no + verb + nunca.

Identify the correct use of double negatives in Spanish.

No escribo nunca cartas.

Nadie nunca llega temprano.

No veo a nadie.

Nunca veo algo.

No escribo nunca algo.

Nunca veo nada.

No veo a alguien.

Nadie no llega temprano.

No veo a nadie.
Nunca veo nada.
Nadie nunca llega temprano.
No escribo nunca cartas.

Correct examples use "no" before the verb and negative words like "nadie," "nunca," and "nada" after. "Nadie no llega..." is incorrect.

Common Pitfalls

Forgetting to use no before the verb when using negative words after the verb (e.g., Nadie viene is correct, but No viene nadie is also correct; Nadie no viene is wrong).
Using double negatives as in English to create a positive (e.g., No tengo nada means I have nothing, not I have something).
Placing negative words incorrectly can change emphasis but not the negative meaning.

Summary

Spanish double negatives are grammatically correct and required.
Use no before the verb and negative words after the verb.
All negative elements intensify the negation; they never cancel out.

Flashcards (1 of 10)

Meaning: not

Example in English: Not
Example in English Sentence: I do not have money.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

Spanish