3 Spanish Double Negative Rules to Sharpen Your Grammar

In English, double negatives are grammatically incorrect. You wouldn't say, "I don't need no help." You'd say, "I don't need any help." However, Double negatives in Spanish exist—and they're an integral part of communication! Although it can feel a bit awkward at first, remember that negation in Spanish is used in everyday conversation and can be a huge stepping stone on your path to fluency. In the following guide, we'll go over some of the most common negative words alongside some essential Spanish double negative rules to help you create a strong foundation for language learning.

What Are Spanish Double Negative Words?

Spanish double negative words are any words used to create negations, which are contradictions or denials of something. They're words used to talk about the absence or opposite of something actual or positive and are just as important as affirmation sentences when learning Spanish grammar. 

Important Spanish Negation Words to Know

There are several different Spanish negation words that can be used, but a few of them are more common than others. The most important ones to add to your Spanish vocabulary include the following:

No – The most basic negation in Spanish, no means “not” or “no,” and is placed before a Spanish verb to negate it. It’s the go-to negation word and is used in almost every negative sentence.

Nada – Meaning “nothing” or “anything,” nada is used to express the absence of something. For example, No tengo nada means “I don’t have anything.”

Nadie – This word means “nobody” or “no one” and is used when talking about people. For example, No hay nadie aquí translates to “There’s no one here.”

Ningún/Ninguna – These words mean “none” or “not any” and vary based on the gender of the noun they modify. For example, No tengo ningún amigo aquí means “I don’t have any friends here.”

Ni – Translating to “neither” or “nor,” ni is used to list negative items, as in No quiero ni pizza ni pasta, which means “I don’t want pizza or pasta.”

Nunca – This word means “never” and is used to indicate that something does not happen at any time. No quiero nunca salir translates to “I never want to go out.”

Jamás – Similar to nunca, jamás is another way to say “never” but with a stronger emphasis, often implying something will “never, ever” happen. For instance, Jamás lo haría means “I would never do it.”

Tampoco – This word means “neither” or “either” and is used to agree with another negative statement. For example, No quiero eso tampoco means “I don’t want that either.”

Todavía no – Meaning “not yet,” todavía no indicates that something hasn’t happened but may in the future. An example is Todavía no he terminado (“I haven’t finished yet”).

Ya no – This phrase means “no longer” or “not anymore” and is used to say that something has stopped happening. For instance, Ya no vivo allí translates to “I don’t live there anymore.”

4 Spanish Double Negative Rules to Know

Using double negatives in Spanish can feel awkward at first, but when you understand how they work, things get a bit easier. To help you practice using them in conversation, download Tandem and match with a native speaker today. It's a great way to put your newfound knowledge of Spanish double negative rules to work!

1. You can transform an affirmative sentence into a negative sentence in Spanish by adding "no."

The most common way to form a negative sentence in Spanish is simply by adding "no" before the verb. This is similar to English when you say you "don't" like or want something. This rule also applies to questions. While it seems simple, the addition of one negative word in a Spanish sentence makes up about 75% of Spanish negation! So, regardless of the context, this tip can help you on your way to mastering Spanish grammar. Some examples of this Spanish double negative rule can be seen in the sentences below.

• No tengo dinero. – I don’t have money.
• Ella no quiere ir al cine. – She doesn’t want to go to the movies.
• No puedo comer más. – I can’t eat anymore.
• Él no sabe la respuesta. – He doesn’t know the answer.
• No me gusta el café. – I don’t like coffee.
• Nosotros no vamos a la playa hoy. – We aren’t going to the beach today.
• Ellos no tienen tiempo para jugar. – They don’t have time to play.
• No hay nadie en la casa. – There is no one in the house.
• No quiero hacer mi tarea. – I don’t want to do my homework.
• Ella no habla inglés. – She doesn’t speak English.

2. To form a double negative, place the word "no" before the verb, then add a second negative word later in the sentence.

To form a double negative sentence, take the first Spanish double negative rule of adding "no" before the verb, then add a second negation word later. The placement of the second negative word will depend on what it is and the complexity of the sentence.

Typically, the second negative word goes after the conjugated Spanish verb to create a double negative. Some examples of this are:

• No quiero nada. – I don’t want anything.
• No veo a nadie. – I don’t see anyone.
• Él no tiene nunca tiempo. – He never has time.
• No hablo con nadie. – I don’t talk to anyone.
• No como nada de eso. – I don’t eat any of that.
• No tengo nada que decir. – I don’t have anything to say.
• No necesito a nadie ahora. – I don’t need anyone right now.
• No quiero nunca salir de casa. – I never want to leave the house.
• No encuentro nada interesante aquí. – I don’t find anything interesting here.
• No conozco a nadie en esta fiesta. – I don’t know anyone at this party.

3. You can also form a double negative sentence in Spanish by starting with a negation word other than "no" and then adding a second negative word later.

In Spanish, you can also start a sentence with negative words like nada (nothing), nadie (no one), nunca (never), jamás (never/ever), and tampoco (neither) to form double negatives. This gives you a chance to express yourself in some more creative ways or respond to someone correctly.

However, an important thing to know about starting a Spanish double negative sentence with any negation word other than "no" is that you cannot use "no" in the sentence later! 

Some examples of this include: 

• Nadie quiere hacer nada hoy. – No one wants to do anything today.
• Nada de eso me ha gustado nunca. – I’ve never liked any of that.
• Nunca he visto nada tan bonito. – I have never seen anything so beautiful.
• Jamás te diría nada malo. – I would never say anything bad to you.
• Nadie sabe nada de ese tema. – No one knows anything about that topic.
• Tampoco voy a decir nada al respecto. – I’m not going to say anything about it either.
• Nunca quiero ver a nadie que me haga sentir mal. – I never want to see anyone who makes me feel bad.
• Jamás me han dicho nada así. – No one has ever said anything like that to me.
• Nadie quiere hacer nada hoy. – No one wants to do anything today.

4. You can make triple and quadruple negative sentences in Spanish.

Although it might not be the most effective way to express yourself, Spanish allows you to make triple negatives and quadruple negative sentences. The structure for these types of sentences follows the same Spanish double negative rules, which would be:

No + verb + negation word + negation word

But you can also add several negation words to the front of the verb (if you're not using no). This would make the sentence structure look like:

Negation word + negation word + verb + negation word + negation word 

The opportunities are really endless when you're forming negative sentences in Spanish. You can see a few examples of these extra-long negations here:

• No quiero hablar con nadie nunca. – I don’t ever want to talk to anyone.
• Nadie nunca me dice nada. – No one ever tells me anything.
• Nunca nadie me ha dado nada. – No one has ever given me anything.
• No quiero ni hablar ni ver a nadie. – I don’t want to talk or see anyone.
• Nunca jamás quiero ver a nadie aquí. – I never, ever want to see anyone here.
• No quiero que nadie me diga nada nunca. – I don’t want anyone to ever tell me anything.
• Nunca nadie me da nada a mí tampoco. – No one ever gives me anything either.
• Nadie nunca me ha dado nada tampoco. – No one has ever given me anything either.
• No quiero ni salir ni hablar con nadie nunca. – I don’t ever want to go out or talk to anyone.
• Nunca jamás quiero que nadie me pregunte nada. – I never, ever want anyone to ask me anything.

How to Put Your Spanish Double Negative Rules to Use

Whether you're practicing your Spanish double negative sentences or perfecting pronunciation of some [funny Spanish phrases](https://tandem.net/blog/funny-spanish-phrases), talking with a native is the best way to learn.

Regardless of where you are in the world, you can download Tandem and match with a native Spanish speaker. Tandem offers a unique language learning experience that will help you deepen your understanding and improve fluency.

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