Negation

Negations!!

 You have already learned how to make simple affirmative statements. **Ella habla inglés.** She speaks English. **Él es profesor.** He is a professor.

To make a sentence negative, place the word "no" before the verb. **Ella __no habla__ inglés.** She doesn't speak English. **Él __no es__ profesor.** He is not a professor.

When the answer to a question is negative, two negative words are required.

**¿Habla Ud. español?** (Do you speak Spanish?) **¿ Está Gerardo en la clase?** (Is Gerardo in the class?) **¿Siempre estudias?** (Do you always study?)
 * No. No hablo español.** (No. I don't speak Spanish.)
 * No. Gerardo no está en la clase.** (No. Gerardo is not in the class.)
 * No, nunca estudio.** (No, I never study.)

Study the following list of affirmative words and their negative counterparts: **algo** (something)
 * nada** (nothing)

**alguien** (somebody) **algún (-o, -a, -os, -as)** (some, something) **siempre** (always) <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**también** (also) <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**o. . . o** (either . . . or)
 * nadie** (nobody)
 * ningún (-o, -a, -os, -as)** (no, none)
 * nunca** (never) **jamás** (never, ever)
 * tampoco** (neither, not either)
 * ni . . . ni** (neither . . . nor)

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Nadie habla.** Nobody speaks. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Él nunca come.** He never eats. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Alfredo tampoco baila.** Alfredo doesn't dance either.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The negative words can also be used with the word "no," following the verb. Note that unlike English, double negatives are acceptable in Spanish. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**No habla nadie.** Nobody speaks. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Él no come nunca.** He never eats. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Alfredo no baila tampoco .** Alfredo doesn't dance either.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sometimes, three negative words occur in the same sentence.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**No compro nada nunca.** I never buy anything. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Él no compra nada tampoco.** He doesn't buy anything either.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can even have four negative words in the same sentence. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//**Yo no veo nunca a nadie tampoco.** I never see anybody either.//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Unlike English, Spanish does not normally mix negative and affirmative words. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**English** Maria doesn't need anything. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Spanish** María no necesita nada.
 * NOT** Maria doesn't need nothing.
 * NOT** María no necesita algo.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Alguno and ninguno drop the -o before a masculine singular noun. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//¿Tienes algún libro? No, no tengo ningún libro.//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ninguno(-a) is generally used in the singular. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">¿Tienes algunas revistas? No, no tengo ninguna. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">¿Tienes algunos libros? No, no tengo ninguno.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The plural of ninguno(-a) is used only when the noun it modifies exists only in plural, or is normally used in plural. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//**Ningunas vacaciones a Alaska son completas sin una excursión a Mt. McKinley.** No vacation to Alaska is complete without a trip to Mt. McKinley.// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In this example "ningunas" is used because "vacaciones" is normally used in plural form