de ninguna manera
/de ninˌɡuna maˈneɾa/
In Spanish, "absolutely not" can be expressed as de ninguna manera.
The phrase is used as a strong and emphatic way to say no or to refuse a request.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase de ninguna manera translates literally to "in no way".
Which one should you use?
You can also use en absoluto for a similar formal effect. For informal settings, you might use para nada, which means "not at all" or the colloquial expression ni hablar, which conveys the sense of "not even talking about it" to express strong disagreement or refusal.
How do you pronounce it?
/de ninˌɡuna maˈneɾa/
Did you know?
- If you want to be even more emphatic than de ninguna manera, you can use the expression ni de coña, though be warned that it is considered very vulgar in most Spanish-speaking countries.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, combining de ninguna manera with a head shake can be viewed as significantly more aggressive or confrontational than the English 'absolutely not'.
- The word manera in de ninguna manera comes from the Latin word for hand, as it originally described the way something was handled.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedo tomar tu coche?Can I take your car?
- De ninguna manera voy a aceptar ese trato.I am absolutely not going to accept that deal.
- ¿Puedo usar tu coche? ¡De ninguna manera!Can I use your car? Absolutely not!
- De ninguna manera permitiré que mientas.I will absolutely not allow you to lie.
Example conversation
Daniel asks Sofía if he can borrow her new car.
- SofíaSofía, ¿me prestas tu coche nuevo?Sofía, will you lend me your new car?
- DanielDe ninguna manera, Daniel.Absolutely not, Daniel.
- Sofía¡Pero soy un conductor muy cuidadoso!But I am a very careful driver!
- DanielNo importa, la respuesta es no.It doesn't matter, the answer is no.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry de ninguna manera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, manera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
