yo nunca
/ʝo nunka/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "i never" is yo nunca.
yo nunca is used to state that you have not performed an action at any point in your life. If you want to emphasize that something has not happened even a single time, you can use the construction ni una vez, which means "not even once".
Which one should you use?
While yo nunca translates to "I never", you can use the single word nunca (never) as a standalone response to a question to mean "Never" or "Never ever".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, speakers often use the phrase no he… ni una sola vez to add stress when stating they have never done something. In Mexico, a common way to express the intensity of "I have never in my life seen such a thing" is Nunca en mi vida he visto tal cosa.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural speech, the word yo (I) is often omitted because the conjugation of the verb already makes it clear that you are the subject.
Did you know?
- While nunca means 'never', placing it after the verb creates a double negative with no that is grammatically required in Spanish, such as no he ido nunca.
- In many Spanish-speaking social circles, a game called Yo nunca is played, which is similar to the English game 'Never Have I Ever'.
- The word yo comes from the Latin egō̆, which is the same root that gave English the word 'ego'.
Examples in context
- Yo nunca bebo té.I never drink tea.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of yo nunca with a daily habit.Tatoeba #10758489 by Seael, translation #8115500 by Hybrid
- Yo nunca viajo solo.I never travel alone.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of yo nunca with a travel habit.Tatoeba #2278245 by marcelostockle, translation #2208391 by CK
- Yo nunca me preocupo.I never worry.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of yo nunca regarding an emotional state.Tatoeba #4613398 by Francisco_M, translation #2388239 by CK
- Nunca como pescado.I never eat fish.
- Nunca salgo de fiesta los jueves.I never go partying on Thursdays.
- Jamás he estado en México.I've never been to Mexico.
- Jamás estudiaría eso.I would never study that.
- No he comido sushi ni una vez.I haven't eaten sushi not even once.
- Nunca jamás he faltado a una cita.I have never ever missed an appointment.
- Nunca jamás he llegado tarde al trabajo.I have never ever been late to work.
- De ninguna manera aceptaría esa oferta.I would never accept that offer by any means.
- De ninguna manera lo haría sin tu consentimiento.I would by no means do it without your consent.
- No he ido al cine ni una sola vez este año.I haven't gone to the cinema not even once this year.
- No he probado la paella ni una sola vez.I haven't tasted paella not even once.
- No bebo té nunca.I never drink tea.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their eating habits.
- María¿Comes carne, Daniel?Do you eat meat, Daniel?
- DanielNo, yo nunca como carne.No, I never eat meat.
- MaríaYo también soy vegetariana.I am a vegetarian too.
- Daniel¡Qué coincidencia, María!What a coincidence, María!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nunca, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
