Negatives and Questions in Spanish
How to say no, nothing and never in Spanish, and how to ask questions with the main question words.
Negatives and questions are among the most useful structures.
Making a sentence negative
Put no before the verb:
- Hablo español. → No hablo español.
- Quiero café. → No quiero café.
Double negatives
Unlike English, Spanish uses a double negative:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| nada | nothing |
| nadie | nobody |
| nunca | never |
| tampoco | neither, not either |
| ningún / ninguna | no, none |
- No tengo nada. I have nothing.
- No conozco a nadie. I don't know anyone.
- Nunca como carne. I never eat meat.
- No viene nadie. Nobody is coming.
If the negative word comes before the verb, no is dropped: Nadie viene.
Yes/no questions
Raise your voice and add ¿ ?:
- ¿Hablas inglés? Do you speak English?
- ¿Tienes hermanos? Do you have siblings?
Question words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué? | what |
| ¿Quién? | who |
| ¿Dónde? | where |
| ¿Cuándo? | when |
| ¿Por qué? | why |
| ¿Cómo? | how |
| ¿Cuánto? | how much |
| ¿Cuál? | which |
Note that por qué (why) is two words with an accent, and porque (because) is one word with no accent.
Examples
- ¿Dónde vives? Where do you live?
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? How old are you?
- ¿Qué hora es? What time is it?
- ¿Por qué estudias español? Why do you study Spanish?
- Porque me gusta. Because I like it.
Order
In questions, the subject often comes after the verb: ¿Dónde vive Ana?
Tips
- Use double negatives.
- Remember por qué and porque.
- Use the dictionary to check question words.
English Spanish Dictionary
Offline English–Spanish dictionary with gender and accents handled properly
More about English Spanish Dictionary
A Gentle Introduction to the Spanish Subjunctive
What the subjunctive is, when it is needed and the easiest ways to start using it.
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