15 Negation
^32 (p. 191)
15.1No
No is the most widely-used Spanish negative:
No sé cuántos tienen.
I don’t know how many they’ve got.
No todos vinieron.
Not all of them came.
Entonces vino a visitarme no Juan sino Miguel.
Then there came to visit me not Juan but Miguel.NOTE Acabar de+ infinitive and dejar de+ infinitive have a different meaning when used with no
(see 32.2).15.2 Negative element following the verb
When a negative element follows the verb, no or another negative must be used in
additionbefore the verb (see also 45.1).
No conozco a nadie.
I know no one/I don’t know anyone.
Este pobrecito no tiene ningún amigo.
This poor little chap has got no friends/hasn’t got a friend.
No vino nadie. (or, less commonly, Nadie vino)
No one came.
Nunca dice nada.
He/she never says anything.
Juan no bebe ni té ni café.
Juan drinks neither tea nor coffee/doesn’t drink tea or coffee.
Notice that a positive element (e.g. ‘anything’, ‘anyone’) is often used in the
corresponding English constructions.