Negative Pronouns

Pronombres negativos

Spanish negative pronouns
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Spanish negative pronouns, also called indefinite negative pronouns, replace and simultaneously negate nouns. Negative pronouns may be the subject or object of the verb they’re used with.

Por ejemplo…

No hay nadie en la parada de autobús.   There’s no one at the bus stop.
No vi nada.   I didn’t see anything
Ninguno de los libros me interesa.   None of the books interests me.

Characteristics of negative pronouns

  1. Replace a noun or indefinite pronoun
  2. May have one or two parts*
  3. May be a subject, direct object, or object of a preposition
  4. Do not require an antecedent

Spanish negative pronouns

(no…) ninguno (de)   none (of), not any (of)
(no…) nadie   no one
(no…) nada   nothing, not… anything

 * Negative pronouns have one or two parts, depending on their placement in the sentence:

  1. Before the verb (as the subject), Spanish negative pronouns are one part.
  2. After the verb (as the direct or indirect object), they have two parts.
Nadie lo quiere.   No one wants it.
No vi a nadie.   I didn’t see anyone.
     
Nada va a pasar.   Nothing is going to happen.
No hay nada en el coche.   There’s nothing in the car.
     
Ninguno de los libros me interesa.   None of the books interests me.
No tengo ninguna de la ropa.   I don’t have any of the clothes.

 Note that ninguno changes to agree with the noun that it modifies:

  singular plural
masculine ninguno ningunos
feminine ninguna ningunas

 Related lessons

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No hay nadie en la parada de autobús

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