One of the first things you'll want to do in Spanish is say "no" – whether it's "I don't have," "I don't like," or "He isn't." Fortunately, making most simple sentences negative in Spanish is incredibly straightforward, much simpler than in English!

The core rule for Spanish grammar negation involves just one simple addition to your sentence structure.

The Simple Rule: Just Add "No"

In English, we often need auxiliary verbs like "do not" or "does not" to make a verb negative (e.g., "I eat" vs. "I don't eat"). In Spanish, you just need the word no.

The rule is:

• Place no directly **before** the conjugated verb.

That's it! This rule applies to almost all simple negative statements with a single conjugated verb.

Examples with regular verbs:

• Affirmative: Hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
  Negative: ¡No hablo español! (I do not speak Spanish!)
• Affirmative: Comes pizza. (You eat pizza.)
  Negative: ¡No comes pizza! (You do not eat pizza!)
• Affirmative: Ella vive en Madrid. (She lives in Madrid.)
  Negative: Ella no vive en Madrid. (She does not live in Madrid.)
• Affirmative: Tenemos un coche. (We have a car.)
  Negative: No tenemos un coche. (We do not have a car.)
• Affirmative: Ellos estudian. (They study.)
  Negative: No estudian. (They do not study.)

Negating Sentences with Pronouns (Like Gustar)

This simple rule also holds true even when your sentence includes object pronouns (direct, indirect, or reflexive) or the construction used with verbs like gustar (to like).

The pronoun(s) always stay immediately before the conjugated verb (unless it's an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command), and no goes right before the entire pronoun-verb cluster.

Examples with Pronouns:

• Affirmative: Me gusta el café. (I like coffee - literally "Coffee is pleasing to me.")
  Negative: No me gusta el café. (I do not like coffee.)
• Affirmative: Te veo. (I see you - informal.)
  Negative: No te veo. (I do not see you.)
• Affirmative: Ella se levanta temprano. (She gets up early.)
  Negative: Ella no se levanta temprano. (She does not get up early.)
• Affirmative: Le doy el libro. (I give the book to him/her/you formal.)
  Negative: No le doy el libro. (I do not give the book to him/her/you formal.)

Other Negative Words (Optional)

While no is the most basic form of negation, Spanish also has other negative words like nunca (never), nada (nothing), nadie (nobody), tampoco (neither/not either), etc.

These words can appear in two ways:

• **Before the verb:** If the negative word comes before the verb, you generally **do not** also use no.
  • Nunca como carne. (I never eat meat.)
  • Nadie está aquí. (Nobody is here.)
• **After the verb:** If the negative word comes after the verb, you **must** also use no before the verb. This creates a "double negative" structure, which is correct in Spanish!
  • No como carne nunca. (I don't eat meat ever.)
  • No hay nadie aquí. (There is nobody here.)
  • No me gusta el café tampoco. (I don't like coffee either.)

For beginners, focusing on the simple `no + verb` structure for negative statements is the essential first step.

Practice Simple Negation

Practicing making sentences negative in Spanish is a key skill for building fluency. Start with simple statements you know how to make and just add no before the verb.

• Try negating simple sentences like: Tengo un perro. (I have a dog.), Quieres agua. (You want water.), Vivimos cerca. (We live nearby.), Entienden. (They understand.).
• Use it with things you dislike: No me gustan las arañas. (I don't like spiders.).

The consistent rule makes negation in Spanish quite predictable once you get the hang of it. Sprachlingua's interactive online Spanish course emphasizes building fundamental grammatical skills through practical application, giving you the confidence to use negation correctly in conversations and writing.