no
/ˈno/
The English phrase "doesn't" is translated to Spanish as no.
Meaning: does not (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the word no is placed directly before the conjugated verb to express negation.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈno/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use a form of hacer (to do/make) to translate the English auxiliary "does", but in Spanish, you simply use no before the main verb.
Did you know?
- While no is the standard negation, Spanish speakers often use 'double negatives' for emphasis. Saying no sé nada literally means 'I don't know nothing', but it is perfectly correct grammar.
- In Spanish, the word no can sometimes be used as a question tag at the end of a sentence to seek confirmation, similar to how English speakers use 'right?' or 'isn't it?'
- The word no shares the same Latin ancestor, 'nōn', as the English word 'not', making them distant linguistic cousins.
Examples in context
- Ya no me ama.She doesn't love me anymore.This sentence is useful for seeing how no functions with the verb "ama".Tatoeba #5117377 by don_ramon, translation #1848815 by Spamster
- Él ya no bebe.He doesn't drink anymore.This sentence is useful for seeing how no functions with the verb "bebe".Tatoeba #10204353 by Shishir, translation #2006398 by Spamster
- Tom no lo sabe.Tom doesn't know.This sentence is useful for seeing how no functions with the verb "sabe".Tatoeba #2224955 by Shishir, translation #1868350 by CK
- María no habla italiano.María doesn't speak Italian.
- El niño no come verduras.The child doesn't eat vegetables.
- Marta no entiende nada.Marta doesn't understand anything.
- 3143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking about a friend's new car.
- María¿Daniel, tu hermano no viene a la fiesta?Daniel, isn't your brother coming to the party?
- DanielNo, él no puede venir hoy.No, he cannot come today.
- María¿No trabaja hoy?Doesn't he work today?
- DanielNo, no trabaja los lunes.No, he doesn't work on Mondays.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry no, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
