How do you say "never" in Spanish? In this lesson, you'll discover the main Spanish words for "never" and learn simple formulas to use them correctly in your conversations. Are you ready?

banner6 PLACEHOLDER

Nunca: The Most Common Way to Say Never in Spanish

The most common way to say "never" in Spanish is with the word nunca. Let's hear it in action:

¿Pero pantaloncitos calientes? ¡No, nunca!

But hot pants? No, never!

Caption 16, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1

 Play Caption

How to Use Nunca in Spanish: Two Simple Formulas

Now that we know that nunca is the most common word for "never" in Spanish, let's learn a couple of formulas for using it.

1️⃣ Nunca + affirmative sentence 

This is the most straightforward way: simply place nunca before the verb.

Nunca he estado en China.

I have never been in China.

Caption 27, Carlos explica - El pretérito Cap 3: Perfecto compuesto II

 Play Caption

Juan nunca pone atención en clase.

Juan never pays attention in class.

Caption 20, Carlos explica - Los cinco sentidos

 Play Caption

Note that if there is an explicitly stated subject like Juan in the second example, it must be placed before the word nunca.

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

2️⃣ No + sentence + nunca

Spanish allows double negatives, which is grammatically correct (unlike in English). You can place no before the verb and nunca anywhere after it to mean the same thing. Let's convert our previous examples:

Nunca he estado en China.

No he estado en China nunca.

Both mean: "I have never been to China."

Juan nunca pone atención en clase.

Juan no pone atención en clase nunca. 

Both mean: "Juan never pays attention in class."

Now, let's look at a couple of additional examples of this double negative formula, noting that within this construction, the word nunca can go pretty much anywhere as long as it comes after the verb.

Creo que este momento no lo voy a olvidar nunca.

I think I'll never forget this moment.

Caption 10, Tu Voz Estéreo - Laura

 Play Caption

Él todavía no ha salido nunca afuera.

He has still never gone outside [of it].

Caption 39, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Cachorro de leopardo

 Play Caption

banner3 PLACEHOLDER

Jamás: A More Emphatic Way to Say Never in Spanish

Just like nunca, the Spanish word jamás also means "never" in Spanish but is generally considered more emphatic. To remember how to use this word correctly, we can simply substitute the word jamás for nunca in our aforementioned formulas, utilizing the same parameters. Let's see some examples:

Yo jamás te mentiría.

I would never lie to you.

Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7

 Play Caption

No se me hubiera ocurrido jamás.

It never would have occurred to me.

Caption 21, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 12

 Play Caption

banner4 PLACEHOLDER

Nunca Jamás: Saying 'Never Ever' in Spanish

If you want to be even more emphatic, you can combine nunca and jamás to get nunca jamás, which means something like "never ever" and is commonly seen in songs, telenovelas (Spanish soap operas), and other dramatic scenarios. Let's take a look:

Nunca jamás sentí tanto dolor. -No, no, no, no

I have never ever felt so much pain. -No, no, no, no

Es un puñal clavado aquí en mi corazón

It's a dagger stabbed here in my heart

Captions 15-16, Victor Manuelle - Nunca Habia Llorado Así

 Play Caption

Que quedaste embarazada y nunca jamás lo volviste a ver.

That you ended up pregnant and you never ever saw him again.

Caption 50, Yago - 10 Enfrentamientos

 Play Caption

banner2 PLACEHOLDER

Mastering 'Never' in Spanish: Final Thoughts

With these melodramatic examples, we hope that this lesson has helped you feel more confident expressing the idea of "never" in Spanish. We'd love to hear from you—share your questions or thoughts with us!