The Spanish simple negations guide covering basic rules and common expressions for forming negative sentences using 'no', 'nunca', 'tampoco', and more.

Simple negations are fundamental in Spanish grammar. They allow you to express that something is not true, didn’t happen, or won’t happen. Spanish uses several key words for negation, with no being the most common. Other important negation words include nunca (never), tampoco (neither), nada (nothing), and nadie (nobody). In Spanish, no is placed before the verb, and if a second negative word is needed, it comes after the verb.

no + verb: the basic way to say “not”
Additional negative words (nunca, nada, nadie, etc.) go after the verb
Double negatives are normal and required in Spanish (e.g., no ... nada)
Word order is subject + no + verb + (negative word)

Basic Structure

The simplest way to negate a sentence in Spanish is to put no right before the verb. This works for all subjects and tenses.

Spanish Subject	Spanish Conjugation	English Conjugation	Spanish Example	English Example
yo	no hablo	I don’t speak	Yo no hablo inglés.	I don’t speak English.
tú	no comes	You don’t eat	Tú no comes carne.	You don’t eat meat.
ella	no vive	She doesn’t live	Ella no vive aquí.	She doesn’t live here.

Tú ___ comes carne. (tú, comer)

You don’t eat meat.

nunca

nada

tampoco

Basic negation in Spanish uses 'no' before the verb. 'Tú no comes carne' means 'You don’t eat meat.'

Adding More Negatives

Sometimes you need to be more specific about what is not happening. Spanish uses other negative words that come after the verb, always following no.

Negative Word	Meaning	Usage Example (Spanish)	Usage Example (English)
nunca	never	Yo no voy nunca.	I never go.
nada	nothing	No quiero nada.	I don’t want anything.
nadie	nobody	No hay nadie.	There is nobody.
tampoco	neither/neither do I	No me gusta el té. Tampoco el café.	I don’t like tea. Neither do I like coffee.

Examples with Additional Negatives

Here are some common examples of negative sentences using these words. Notice how no always comes before the verb and the other negative word follows.

Spanish Example	English Example
Yo no trabajo nunca los domingos.	I never work on Sundays.
Ella no quiere nada.	She doesn’t want anything.
No veo a nadie en el parque.	I don’t see anybody in the park.
Yo no bailo, y tú tampoco.	I don’t dance, and neither do you.

More Examples

Spanish Example	English Example
No tengo tiempo.	I don’t have time.
No estudio español.	I don’t study Spanish.
No escribo cartas.	I don’t write letters.
No abro la ventana.	I don’t open the window.
No escucho música.	I don’t listen to music.

Understanding simple negations is key to expressing yourself clearly in Spanish. Practice forming negative sentences with no plus the verb, and then try adding other negative words. This will help you build confidence and avoid common mistakes.

No abro la ventana.

I open the window.

I don’t open the window.

I sometimes open the window.

I never open the window.

I don’t open the window.

In Spanish, 'No abro la ventana' means 'I don’t open the window.' The negation is formed by placing 'no' before 'abro.'

Flashcards (1 of 16)

English Conjugation: I don’t speak
English Example: I don’t speak English.

Next Up: Double Negatives

Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025

Spanish