no
/ˈno/
The English phrase "didn't" is expressed in Spanish using no.
In Spanish, no is used to negate an action in the past, functioning as the equivalent of the English "did not".
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which requires an auxiliary verb like "did" to form a negative past tense, Spanish achieves negation simply by using the particle no before the main verb.
How does it change in a sentence?
To negate a sentence in Spanish, place the word no directly before the conjugated verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈno/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to translate the auxiliary "did" into Spanish. Instead of trying to include a word for "did", simply use no before the verb you wish to negate.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the Spanish no is used in a double negative construction, such as 'no sé nada', which literally means 'I don't know nothing' but is grammatically correct.
- In spoken Spanish, a trailing no? at the end of a sentence transforms a statement into a question, similar to the English 'right?' or 'isn't it?'
- In certain Spanish texts, the abbreviation no does not mean 'not' or 'didn't', but is actually shorthand for 'número', meaning 'number'.
Examples in context
- No vi a Tom.I didn't see Tom.This sentence shows how to use no to negate a past tense verb.Tatoeba #3562838 by ficion, translation #3330085 by CK
- No te las di.I didn't give them to you.This sentence demonstrates using no to negate a verb in a sentence with objects.Tatoeba #10568408 by JSKabylie, translation #13216588 by frpzzd
- No lo he oído.I didn't hear it.This sentence illustrates the use of no with a perfect tense construction.Tatoeba #1342971 by Shishir, translation #680110 by Source_VOA
- Él no hizo la tarea.He didn't do the homework.
- Ella no hizo el trabajo.She didn't do the work.
- El equipo no hizo los preparativos a tiempo.The team didn't make the preparations on time.
- Él no hizo nada ayer.He didn't do anything yesterday.
- Ellos no hicieron la tarea.They didn't do the homework.
- 4058 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about a party they attended yesterday.
- LucíaNo comí nada en la fiesta.I didn't eat anything at the party.
- Daniel¿No te gustó la comida?Didn't you like the food?
- LucíaNo, no me gustó nada.No, I didn't like it at all.
- DanielQué lástima, yo sí comí mucho.That's a shame, I did eat a lot.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry no, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
