Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| no | /ˈno/ |
| no pues | /no pwes/ (from spelling rules) |
The word no is a particle used to show disagreement or negation. You can use specific phrases to soften or clarify your negation, such as lamentablemente no to express regret when declining or la verdad no puedo to mean "I really can't" when you genuinely cannot attend or perform a task.
Which one should you use?
While no is the standard negation, no pues is a colloquial expression used as an emphatic filler to express disbelief or resignation or to begin a response.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
No pues is considered colloquial. When declining an invitation, you can be gracious by saying no puedo, pero muchas gracias (I can't, but thank you very much) or use the informal phrase no, gracias igualmente (no, thanks anyway).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression no pues is used in certain dialects, and the slang known as Lunfardo is specific to the city of Buenos Aires and its surroundings.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a particle, no is used to negate verbs by placing it directly before the conjugated verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈno/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use no as an adjective before a noun, such as saying no comida. In Spanish, you should instead use a construction like no hay comida (there is no food) or use the determiner ninguna (e.g., ninguna comida).
When do people say it?
When declining an invitation or request, speakers often use polite additions. For example, lamentablemente no expresses regret, while no, me viene mal is an informal way to say that something is inconvenient. To decline an offer informally, you might say no, gracias igualmente (no, thanks anyway).
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a soft no can be interpreted as a 'maybe' or a polite way to avoid a direct refusal, meaning the speaker may still be open to persuasion.
- In certain contexts, a double negative such as no sé nada is grammatically correct and required in Spanish, whereas it would be a mistake in standard English.
- In some regions, adding no to the end of a sentence acts like a tag question, similar to 'right?' or 'isn't it?' in English, rather than negating the statement.
Examples in context
- No, aún no sé.No, I still don't know.This sentence shows how to use no to negate a verb.Tatoeba #1502230 by marcelostockle, translation #9966252 by DJ_Saidez
- Esto y no más.This and no more.This sentence demonstrates the use of no to indicate a limit or amount.Tatoeba #2268897 by cueyayotl, translation #2268896 by _undertoad
- Yo ya dije no.I already said no.This sentence shows the use of no in a direct refusal.Tatoeba #4563333 by ecorralest101, translation #4562444 by Hybrid
- No puedo, pero muchas gracias por considerarme.I can't, but thank you for considering me.
- No, me viene mal, pero gracias igualmente.No, it's inconvenient for me, but thanks anyway.
- No puedo ayudarte mañana, pero puedo hacerlo el viernesI can't help you tomorrow, but I can do it on Friday
- 3432 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are discussing whether to go out for dinner.
- Lucía¿Quieres ir a cenar ahora?Do you want to go out to dinner now?
- JavierNo, tengo mucho sueño.No, I am very sleepy.
- Lucía¿No quieres salir ni un poco?Don't you want to go out even a little bit?
- JavierNo, prefiero quedarme en casa.No, I prefer to stay at home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries no, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
