< Index

Negatives and indefinites

Negatives

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:

When another negative, such as nunca, nadie, nada, etc., is used, Spanish often constructs a double or, much less frequently, even a triple negation:

Indefinites

The preceding negatives and others in the table below have their corresponding affirmative indefinites.

Table of negatives and indefinites

Negatives

nadanothing, none
nadienobody, no one
ningún/o, -ano, none
nunca, jamásnever
ni...nineither...nor
tampoconeither

Indefinites

algosomething
alguiensomebody, something
algún/o, -asome, several
alguna vez, jamásever
o...oeither...or