yo tampoco
/ʝo tampoko/from spelling rules
The English phrase "me either" is translated into Spanish as yo tampoco.
yo tampoco is used to agree with a negative statement made by someone else. To clarify a response to a negative question, you can include the verb used, such as "No, no fui tampoco" (No, I didn't go either).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of yo, meaning "I" and tampoco, meaning "neither" or "also not".
Which one should you use?
yo tampoco is used to agree with negative statements, whereas yo también is used to agree with positive statements (me too).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word tampoco is an adverb used to express negation in response to a previous negative statement.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo no tampoco, which would mean "I not neither". Because tampoco already carries the negative meaning, you should not add "no" before it.
Did you know?
- The word tampoco is actually a combination of tan and poco, which literally means 'so little'.
- In certain Spanish-speaking cultures, saying yo tampoco can serve as a way to express solidarity or shared misery when someone complains about a hardship.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you want to say 'me neither' without using the pronoun, you can simply say tampoco on its own. This is a very common way to show agreement in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- Yo tampoco quiero ir.I don't want to go either.
- Él no sabe la respuesta, y yo tampoco.He doesn't know the answer, and I don't either.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking about a movie.
- MaríaNo me gustó la película.I didn't like the movie.
- DanielYo tampoco, María.Me neither, María.
- MaríaFue muy aburrida.It was very boring.
- DanielTienes razón, Daniel está de acuerdo.You're right, Daniel agrees.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tampoco, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
