How to Say "Is Not" in Spanish

No es

/no es/from spelling rules

The Spanish phrase for "is not" is No es.

No es is used to state that someone or something does not possess a particular quality or identity.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase consists of the negative particle no followed by the third-person singular form of the verb ser (to be).

Use No es when referring to permanent qualities or identities. This differs from no está, which is used to describe temporary states or locations.

The phrase No es is the singular form, while the plural form for "are not" is No son.

/no es/

Avoid placing the negation after the verb, such as Es no. In Spanish, the word no must precede the verb.

While no es means 'is not', placing no before other verbs can sometimes create a 'double negative' that is grammatically correct and common in Spanish.
The word es shares a root with the English word 'is' and the Sanskrit word अस्ति, tracing back to a single word in Proto-Indo-European.

No es un pez.
This is not a fish.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use No es to identify what something is not.
Tatoeba #1513877 by marcelostockle, translation #2615370 by CC
No es mi tipo.
This is not my type.
This sentence is useful for using No es to describe preferences.
Tatoeba #2868 by Shishir, translation #1702 by Swift
Ese no es Tom.
That is not Tom.
This sentence is useful for using No es to identify a person.
Tatoeba #2625325 by Shishir, translation #4394683 by beeccy
No es un perro
It is not a dog
No es interesante
It is not interesting
No es mi amiga
She is not my friend
María no está en casa
María is not at home
No está triste
He is not sad
No está en buen estado
It is not in good condition
No es que yo no quiera ayudarte, es que no puedo
It's not that I don't want to help you, I can't
No es que no me importe, es que no tengo tiempo
It's not that I don't care, I just don't have time
1069 more sentences on Tatoeba

Daniel and Sofía are looking at a painting in a gallery.

Daniel

Esta pintura es muy bonita.
This painting is very beautiful.
Sofía

Sí, pero no es muy moderna.
Yes, but it is not very modern.
Daniel

¿Crees que es antigua?
Do you think it is old?
Sofía

No, no es antigua, es solo clásica.
No, it is not old, it is just classic.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏