Negation Beyond No

Negation in Spanish goes far beyond simply putting no before a verb. Spanish has a rich system of negative words, and one of its most distinctive features is that double negatives are grammatically correct and, in fact, required in many sentences. This is the opposite of English, where double negatives are considered incorrect.

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Basic Negation with No

The most fundamental way to negate in Spanish is to place no directly before the conjugated verb:

• No hablo español. — I don't speak Spanish.
• No tengo dinero. — I don't have money.
• No quiero ir. — I don't want to go.
• No he comido. — I haven't eaten.

Position of No

No always goes immediately before the verb (or before object pronouns that precede the verb):

• No lo sé. — I don't know (it).
• No me gusta. — I don't like it.
• No se lo dije. — I didn't tell it to him/her.

Nothing can come between no and the verb/pronoun cluster except other pronouns: No se lo he dicho. — I haven't told it to him/her.

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Negative Words (Palabras Negativas)