nunca
/ˈnunka/
The English word 'never' is translated into Spanish as nunca or jamás.
Meaning: at no time (adv)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| nunca | /ˈnunka/ |
| jamás | /xaˈmas/ |
Both terms are adverbs used to indicate that something occurs at no time.
Which one should you use?
jamás is a more emphatic and stronger version of nunca.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the informal variation jamás de los jamases is used to mean 'never'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, it is grammatically correct and common to use a double negative by placing no before the verb and nunca after it. If you use nunca without a preceding no, it is typically placed before the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnunka/
Did you know?
- The word jamás is actually a linguistic traveler that arrived in Spanish from Old Occitan, making it a relative of the French word 'jamais'.
- The phrase jamás de los jamases treats the adverb jamás as if it were a noun to create a hyperbolic sense of impossibility.
- While nunca is used for general negation, jamás is often used in legal or formal oaths to denote an absolute, eternal prohibition.
Examples in context
- Él jamás se ríe.He never laughs.This sentence uses jamás.Tatoeba #2522409 by marcelostockle, translation #2158841 by Hybrid
- Es ahora o nunca.It's now or never.This sentence uses nunca.Tatoeba #564601 by Shishir, translation #241628 by CK
- No lo hago nunca.I never do that.This sentence shows a common way to use nunca with a preceding 'no' to form a double negative.Tatoeba #2879316 by Shishir, translation #2388071 by CK
- Nunca másNever again
- Nunca lo haréI will never do it
- Nunca he estado allíI have never been there
- Jamás te olvidaréI will never forget you
- Jamás he visto algo igualI have never seen anything like it
- Ni en sueños lo haríaI would never do it (literally: Not even in dreams would I do it)
- Ni en sueños te perdonaríaI would never forgive you (literally: Not even in dreams would I forgive you)
- De ninguna manera lo aceptaréI will never accept it (literally: By no means will I accept it)
- De ninguna manera te ayudaréI will never help you (literally: In no way will I help you)
- No lo haré, en la vidaI will never do it, ever (literally: I won't do it, in life)
- 2747 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are talking about a movie they saw.
- SofíaNunca me gustó esa película.I never liked that movie.
- Alejandro¿De verdad, Sofía?Really, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, nunca fue muy buena.Yes, it was never very good.
- AlejandroA mí me encantó.I loved it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “never” translations and entries nunca, jamás, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jamás, nunca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
