Negation · no…
Put no directly in front of the verb. Spanish is happy with double negatives: no veo nada.
Examples
- No hablo inglés.I don't speak English.
- No tengo dinero.I don't have money.
- Nunca como carne.I never eat meat.
How it works
Negate a sentence by placing no immediately before the verb (and any object pronouns):
Hablo español. → No hablo español.
Te conozco. → No te conozco.
Spanish allows (and often requires) double negation when a negative word follows the verb:
No tengo nada.
I don't have anything. (lit: I don't have nothing)
No vamos nunca. — We never go.
No conozco a nadie. — I don't know anyone.
If the negative word comes BEFORE the verb, drop "no":
Nunca vamos. — We never go.
Nadie viene. — Nobody comes.
Nada me importa. — Nothing matters to me.
Tampoco = "neither / not either":
Yo no fumo. — I don't smoke.
Yo tampoco. — Me neither.
What you'll practise
1. no before the verb
Place no before the conjugated verb (the one that changes with the subject) and any pronoun in front of it: No te conozco.
- No como pan.I don't eat bread.
- No vivimos aquí.We don't live here.
2. Double negation (no … nada/nunca/nadie)
Use no before the verb AND a negative word after — both required.
- No tengo nada.I don't have anything.
- No conozco a nadie.I don't know anyone.
Practise it until it sticks
Short drills built on these 2 skills, with instant feedback on every answer. Free to start.