no, yo no
/ˈno ˈʝo ˈno/word by word
The English phrase "no, I don't" can be translated into Spanish as no, yo no.
no, yo no is a short response used to disagree with a statement or to answer a yes-no question in the negative.
Which one should you use?
While the word no alone provides a simple negation, the phrase no, yo no is specifically used to emphasize the subject (I).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈno ˈʝo ˈno/
Did you know?
- Spanish allows for 'double negatives' that are grammatically correct, such as yo no quiero nada, which differs from the English logic used in no, i don't.
- If you are correcting someone who thinks you did something, using no, yo no can sound like you are defending your innocence rather than just answering a question.
- The word yo comes from the Late Latin eo, which evolved from the Classical Latin egō̆.
Examples in context
- No, no lo hablo.No, I don't speak it.
- No, no quiero ir.No, I don't want to go.
- No, yo no quiero.No, I don't want to.
- No, yo no entiendo.No, I don't understand.
- No, yo no sé.No, I don't know.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are talking about their dietary preferences.
- Daniel¿Comes carne, Elena?Do you eat meat, Elena?
- ElenaNo, yo no como carne.No, I don't eat meat.
- Daniel¿Entonces eres vegetariana?So you are a vegetarian?
- ElenaSí, soy vegetariana.Yes, I am a vegetarian.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (no, yo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
