no hablo inglés
/ˌno ˌablo inˈɡles/
The Spanish phrase for "no speak english" is 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 (no), hablo (I speak) and inglés (English).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb hablo is the first-person singular present indicative form of hablar (to speak).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌno ˌablo inˈɡles/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say yo no hablo inglés. However, the pronoun yo is usually omitted because the verb ending hablo already indicates that the subject is "I".
Did you know?
- The Spanish word inglés was borrowed from the Old French word angleis, which itself came from the Old English Englisc.
- In many Spanish speaking countries, people may respond to no hablo inglés by speaking English even more slowly and loudly, despite the speaker's claim.
- The word hablo comes from hablar, which historically relates to the Latin word for 'talking', but in some legal contexts in Spanish, it can mean 'to testify'.
Examples in context
- Lo siento, pero no hablo inglés. ¿Podría hablar más despacio, por favor?I'm sorry, but I don't speak English. Could you speak more slowly, please?
- Oye, disculpa, no sé inglés. ¿Puedes comunicarte en español?Hey, sorry, I don't know English. Can you communicate in Spanish?
- Lo siento, no hablo inglés.I am sorry, I do not speak English.
- Perdone, no hablo inglés.Excuse me, I do not speak English.
- No hablo inglés, ¿habla usted español?I do not speak English, do you speak Spanish?
Example conversation
Mateo approaches María on the street to ask for directions in English.
- MaríaNo hablo inglés, lo siento.I do not speak English, I am sorry.
- Mateo¿No habla inglés, María?You do not speak English, María?
- MaríaNo, no hablo inglés.No, I do not speak English.
- MateoNo hay problema, hablo español.No problem, I 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.
