no hablo inglés
/ˌno ˌablo inˈɡles/
The English phrase "me no speak english" can be translated into Spanish as no hablo inglés.
no hablo inglés is used to inform others that you do not speak the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of no (not), hablo (I speak) and inglés (English).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression No cacho inglés is an informal way to express "I don't understand English" used in some regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb hablo is the first-person singular present indicative of hablar, which inherently includes the subject yo (I). Because of this, the subject pronoun yo is optional and often omitted in natural speech, unless you wish to emphasize specifically who does not speak the language.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌno ˌablo inˈɡles/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word inglés is actually a loanword from Old French angleis, which was itself a borrowed version of the Old English word Englisc.
- In Chile, you might hear no cacho inglés instead of no hablo inglés. The verb cachar is a slang term meaning 'to understand' or 'to get it'.
- While no hablo inglés means 'I don't speak English', Spanish speakers often use the phrase no entiendo ('I don't understand') to signal they cannot follow a conversation.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, no hablo inglés. ¿Habla usted español?Excuse me, I don't speak English. Do you speak Spanish?
- Perdona, no sé hablar inglés. ¿Puedes ayudarme?Sorry, I don't know how to speak English. Can you help me?
- Lo siento, no hablo inglés.I'm sorry, I don't speak English.
- Perdone, pero no hablo inglés.Excuse me, but I don't speak English.
- No hablo inglés, ¿habla usted español?I don't speak English, do you speak Spanish?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry no hablo inglés, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries inglés, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
