Spanish grammar: negación

What this grammar point covers

Negation in Spanish is how you make a sentence negative, for example, to say that something does not happen or does not exist.

When to use it

Use negation in Spanish when you want to say 'no', deny something, say that something never happens, or that nobody or nothing is involved.

Key forms

• no + verb (No tengo dinero.)
• nunca + verb (Nunca viajo en avión.)
• nadie + verb (Nadie sabe la respuesta.)
• nada + verb (No quiero nada.)
• tampoco + verb (Tampoco entiendo.)

Examples

Tips

• Usually, put 'no' directly before the verb in Spanish.
• If you use words like 'nada', 'nadie', or 'nunca' after the verb, you must also use 'no' before the verb.
• Do not use double negatives in English, but in Spanish, it is correct and sometimes necessary.

Exceptions and edge cases

• When 'nadie', 'nunca', or 'nada' come before the verb, you do not need 'no'.