To make a sentence negative in Spanish, simply put no before the verb. It's simpler than English!
Hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
↓
No hablo español. (I don't speak Spanish.)
The word "no" is the most common negation in Spanish, but there are others too.
Formula: no + verb
Yo no trabajo aquí. (I don't work here.)
Ella no come carne. (She doesn't eat meat.)
No vivimos en Barcelona. (We don't live in Barcelona.)
With questions: "no" goes right before the verb, even in questions
¿No hablas español? (Don't you speak Spanish?)
¿No tienes un lápiz? (Don't you have a pencil?)
Spanish has other ways to express negation:
| nunca / jamás | never | No voy nunca al cine. |
| nada | nothing | No como nada. |
| nadie | nobody | No conozco a nadie. |
| ningún / ninguno | none, not any | No tengo ningún hermano. |
| ni ... ni | neither ... nor | No quiero ni café ni té. |
In Spanish, double negatives are correct and very common. The "no" before the verb is required:
No voy nunca. (I never go. — literally: I don't go never.)
No tengo nada. (I don't have anything. — literally: I don't have nothing.)
No conozco a nadie. (I don't know anybody. — literally: I don't know nobody.)
This is NOT a grammar mistake in Spanish—it's required!
Option 1: no + verb + negative word
No voy nunca. (I never go.)
No tengo nada. (I don't have anything.)
Option 2: Negative word can start the sentence (but "no" still before verb!)
Nunca voy al cine. (Never do I go to the cinema. — omit "no" when negative word is first)
Nada me importa. (Nothing matters to me.)
When a negative word starts the sentence, "no" is optional.
Ninguno = none, not any
No tengo ningún libro. (I don't have any book.)
Ninguno de mis amigos va. (None of my friends go.)
Important: Ningún is used before masculine singular nouns. Ninguno is used alone or before other nouns.
| No tengo ningún hermano | masculine singular |
| No tengo ninguna hermana | feminine singular |
| Ninguno de ellos habla | alone at end |
Traps for English speakers
These are the errors English speakers make most often.