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Negatives and indefinites
In both English and Spanish, the adverb no is the
fundamental negation. In simple negative statements in Spanish the
word no always precedes the verb:
- No fumes, por favor. (Please don't smoke.)
- No quiero gastar mi dinero. (I don't want to
spend my money.)
When another negative, such as nunca, nadie, nada, etc., is
used, Spanish often constructs a double or, much less frequently,
even a triple negation:
- No me equivoco nunca.* (I am never wrong.)
- No he visto nada. (I haven't seen anything.)
- No conozco a nadie** aquí.
(I don't know anyone here.)
*Although the double negative is the standard construction, if nunca or any of the other long negatives precede the verb, a double negative is not required. That is, Nunca me equivoco. Nada he visto. A nadie conozco aquí.
**Notice how when nadie and the affirmative alguien are used with direct objects they must use the "personal a."
The preceding negatives and others in the table below have their
corresponding affirmative indefinites.
- ¿Tienes algo que hacer? (Do you have something to do?)
- Algún* día triunfaré. (Some day I'll win.)
- ¿Conoces a alguien** aquí?
(Do you know someone here?
*Algún, like ningún, loses its -o in the masculine singular and adds feminine and plural endings when appropriate.
**Notice how when alguien and the negative nadie are used with direct objects they must use the "personal a."
Table of negatives and indefinites
Negativesnada -- nothing, none
nadie -- nobody, no one
ningún/o, -a -- no, none
nunca, jamás --never
ni...ni -- neither...nor
tampoco -- neitherIndefinitesalgo -- something
alguien -- somebody, something
algún/o, -a -- some, several
alguna vez, jamás -- ever
o...o -- either...or
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