Recursio
Lesson 17. No, never, nothing
10 words in this lesson
Tap 🔊 and repeat out loud. These words come back in the dialogue and the exercises below.
negation: no + verb; nada / nadie / nunca
No before the verb
In the sentences in this lesson, put no right before the verb: No comprendo. No tengo tiempo. Lucía no está en casa. Spanish needs no helper like English don’t: No comprendo — “I don’t understand.”
When you answer “no,” you often hear no twice: the first is the answer, the second negates the verb. ¿Tienes dinero? — No, no tengo dinero.
Now you can also say no hay: No hay nadie en el bar.
Nada, nadie, nunca
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nada | nothing | No hago nada. |
| nadie | nobody | No hay nadie. |
| nunca | never | Nunca miro el móvil en clase. |
When nada, nadie or nunca comes after the verb, Spanish also needs no before the verb: No hago nada — “I’m not doing anything,” No hay nadie — “There’s nobody.” In standard English one negative is enough; in Spanish this double negative is the correct form.
When the word comes before the verb, drop the no: Nunca miro el móvil en clase. Nadie come aquí.
Words in this lesson
- el tiempo means “time” and also “weather.” The sentence tells you which.
- mirar means “to look at”: Miro el móvil — “I look at my phone.”
- la televisión means “television, TV”: No tengo televisión — “I don’t have a TV.”
- necesitar — “to need”: Necesito dinero — “I need money.”
No comprendo. — I don't understand.
No tengo tiempo. — I don't have time.
Ahora no hago nada. — I'm not doing anything right now.
No hay nadie en el bar. — There's nobody in the bar.
Nunca miro el móvil en clase. — I never look at my phone in class.
Dialogue
Listen to each line and repeat it. Try to understand it before you look at the translation.
Lucía Hola, Javier. ¿No hay nadie en el bar? Hi, Javier. Is there nobody in the bar?
Javier No, nadie. ¿Tomas un café? No, nobody. Would you like a coffee?
Lucía No tengo dinero. I don't have any money.
Javier ¡No necesitas dinero! Eres vecina. You don't need money! You're a neighbor.
Lucía ¡Gracias! ¿Y qué haces ahora? Thanks! And what are you doing now?
Javier Nada. Ahora tengo tiempo. Nothing. I've got time now.
Lucía Yo nunca tengo tiempo. I never have time.
Javier ¡Hoy tienes tiempo! Un café, Lucía. Today you've got time! A coffee, Lucía.
Check yourself
Listen. What did you hear?
1. How do you say “I don't understand”?
2. How do you say “I don't have time”?
3. How do you say “I'm not doing anything”?
4. How do you say “There's nobody here”?
Match each word with its translation
Build the sentence: “I don't have time”
Build the sentence: “I never look at my phone in class”
What you can do now
- Say you don't do something: No comprendo. No tengo tiempo.
- Say nothing, nobody, never: No hago nada. No hay nadie. Nunca miro el móvil en clase.
- Say no and follow with a negative: No, no tengo dinero.
- Say what isn't there: No hay nadie en el bar.
Key phrases of the lesson:
No comprendo.
No tengo tiempo.
Nunca miro el móvil en clase.
Day 17 of 100. Next up: the following lesson.
Lesson 18. Where to, where from, where →The course is the first step. Next comes the Recursio app: short daily practice with spaced review.