No hice nada
/no iθe nada/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I didn't do anything" is translated into Spanish as No hice nada.
No hice nada means I didn't do anything. There are other ways to express similar ideas depending on the context: No hice ni maldita cosa is a colloquial way to say I didn't do anything, and No me metí en nada is an informal way to express that you didn't get involved in anything.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase No hice nada, the verb hice is the first-person singular preterite (past tense) form of the irregular verb hacer.
How do you pronounce it?
/no iθe nada/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use algo (something) instead of nada (nothing) in a negative sentence. In Spanish, the negative no must be paired with nada to express "nothing".
Did you know?
- The word nada for 'nothing' is derived from the Latin word nāta, which literally means 'born thing'. It comes from an ancient phrase meaning 'no born thing'.
- In Spanish, the word nada is so versatile that it can be used as a polite response to 'thank you', similar to saying 'it was nothing' in English.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a common non-verbal accompaniment to saying No hice nada is a shrug with palms facing upward to emphasize innocence.
Examples in context
- No hice nada malo.I didn't do anything bad.Tatoeba #2566053 by hayastan, translation #2275832 by CK
- No hice nada ilegal.I didn't do anything illegal.Tatoeba #2256331 by marcelostockle, translation #1903157 by CK
- Juro que no hice nada.I swear, I didn't do anything.Tatoeba #1642581 by marcelostockle, translation #1405384 by alanood
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is asking Javier why the vase is broken on the floor.
- JavierLucía, te lo juro, no hice nada.Lucía, I swear to you, I didn't do anything.
- Lucía¿Entonces cómo se rompió este jarrón?Then how did this vase break?
- JavierNo lo sé, de verdad no hice nada.I don't know, truly I didn't do anything.
- LucíaQué extraño, es muy raro.How strange, it's very odd.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hice, nada, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
