How do you say "no" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you a multitude of ways!
If you are wondering how to say "no" in Spanish, like in English, there are many different ways. For starters, we could just say "no" like we do in English (with a slightly different pronunciation, of course)!
Elena, por favor, ¿te sentís bien? No.
Elena, please, do you feel alright? No.
Captions 1-2, Yago 13 La verdad - Part 5
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For a more polite choice, use the Spanish equivalent of "No, thank you":
¿Quieres? No, gracias. Tengo unas galletas aquí.
Do you want [some]? No, thank you. I have some cookies here.
Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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To answer with a more emphatic "no," try one of the many expressions that mean "No way" in Spanish. The first one can be translated quite literally:
No, de ninguna manera.
No, no way.
Caption 45, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 6
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¿No muerde, no, Suso? -No, qué va.
He doesn't bite, right, Suso? -Right, no way.
Caption 22, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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Eh... Entonces de hablar, ni hablar.
Um... Then about talking, no way.
Caption 85, Muñeca Brava 47 Esperanzas - Part 10
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¿Quieres salir conmigo? -¡Ni de broma!
Do you want to go out with me? -No way!
¡No te escapas ni de broma! -¡El arma secreta del grupo! -¡Hombre!
There's no way you'll get out of this! -The secret weapon of the band! -Man!
Caption 56, Orishas Entrevista Canal Plus
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To remember how to say "Of course not" in Spanish, let's first recall two ways to say "Of course," claro and por supuesto, then look at their negative versions:
¡Por supuesto que no! ¡No! ¿Mm?
Of course not! No! Hmm?
Caption 44, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 3
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No, no, no, claro que no. Además...
No, no, no, of course not. Besides...
Caption 37, NPS No puede ser 1 - El concurso - Part 11
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While the first, most literal way to say "Don't even think about it" in Spanish is Ni lo pienses, there are several others, such as Ni se te ocurra, which literally means "Don't even let it occur to you":
Si yo dejé mi departamento... -Ni se te ocurra.
If I left my apartment... -Don't even think about it.
Caption 14, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 6
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Let's see one more:
¡Ni lo sueñes!
Don't even think about it [literally "Don't even dream about it"]!
Caption 19, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 5
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An alternative variation would be: ¡Ni en tus sueños! In English, of course, we would merely say "In your dreams" (as opposed to the literal translation "Not in your dreams").
In Spanish, a common way to say you're just not in the mood (to do something) is no tener ganas de + infinitive, as follows
Dale. -Sí. -Sí. -Te toca. Gracias, Merycita, pero no tengo ganas de jugar.
Go ahead. -Yes. -Yes. -It's your turn. Thank you, Merycita, but I don't feel like playing.
Captions 57-58, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 3
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To say simply "I don't feel like it," you might choose No tengo ganas or the alternative expression No me da la gana.
Let's look at a few more common Spanish expressions that make abundantly clear that one's answer is negative:
No, no, no, para nada, no, ¿cómo se te ocurre?
No, no, no, not at all, no, how can you think that?
Caption 12, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 8
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De eso nada. ¡Es mía, sólo mía!
None of that. It's mine, just mine!
Caption 21, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 1
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No, en absoluto.
No, absolutely not.
Caption 76, Muñeca Brava 7 El poema - Part 8
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And, let's conclude with the most dramatic option of all:
¡¿Estás loco o qué?!
Are you crazy or what?!
Caption 34, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 1
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We hope you've enjoyed this lesson on how to say "no" in Spanish. Can you think of any additional Spanish ways to say "no"? Don't forget to let us know!
There are many different ways of expressing agreement in Spanish. We can express strong or mild agreement or disagreement. And many times, we just have to admit we will never reach an agreement and "agree to disagree" as the Mexican band Café Tacuba repeats in its chorus:
Estemos de acuerdo
Let's agree
en no estar de acuerdo
to disagree
Captions 19-20, Café Tacuba - De acuerdo
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Some very common, mostly spoken expressions to convey agreement include claro, tal cual, exactamente, and (es) cierto.
Tienes razón. Claro. Sí.
You're right. Of course. Yes.
Caption 55, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: parecer y parecerse
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Loca se... se gustaron, la pasaron bomba y punto.
Girl, you... you liked each other, you had a great time and that's it.
Tal cual. -No te tenés que casar con él, ¿eh?
Just like that. -You don't have to marry him, huh?
Captions 25-26, Yago - 9 Recuperación
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y con las pautas de lo que es el... el espectáculo, ¿no?
and the guidelines for the... the show, right?
Exactamente.
Exactly.
Entonces lo sacamos solamente para que conozca esto.
So we take him out just so that he gets to know this.
Captions 43-44, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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Often, the discussion is productive and ends in some sort of deliverable, something we agree to do as the outcome of an exchange of ideas.
Y acordamos que mi amiga me enseñaría
And we agreed that my friend would teach me
todos sus trucos para saltar muy alto,
all of her tricks to jump really high,
Caption 24, Guillermina y Candelario - Una Amiga muy Presumida
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Además, íbamos cerca,
Besides, we weren't going too far,
y quedamos en que yo era capitán,
and we agreed that I was [the] captain,
Caption 21, Guillermina y Candelario - Mi Primer Tesoro
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To reassure your commitment, it is common to use the phrase trato hecho, which kind of closes the deal you have made. Once this phrase is uttered, both parties will be held accountable for what they have agreed on.
Perfecto, ¿mañana a qué hora?
Perfect, tomorrow at what time?
A la misma hora de hoy.
At the same time as today.
¿Trato hecho? -Perfecto.
Deal? -Perfect.
Captions 69-71, Escribiendo un libro - Algunos consejos sobre cómo comenzar
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Negative phrases can be emphasized with para nada or en lo más mínimo.
Si tienes planes, lo entiendo.
If you have plans, I understand it.
No, no, no, para nada, no, ¿cómo se te ocurre?
No, no, no, not at all, no, how can you think that?
Captions 11-12, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 4
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No, te estaba contando una cosa
No, I was telling you one thing
pero parece que no te interesa en lo más mínimo.
but it doesn't seem to interest you in the least.
Caption 43, Muñeca Brava - 39 Verdades
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We can also emphasize that we won't do something requested by someone else with phrases like ni loca/o, de ninguna manera, antes muerta/o (not even crazy, no way, over my dead body):
Vamos a mi cuarto.
Let's go to my room.
Ni loca, antes muerta.
Not even crazy, [I'd have to be] dead before.
Captions 11-12, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro
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¿Aquí?
Here?
¡De ninguna manera! ¡No!
No way! No!
Captions 41-42, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo
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Disagreement can be introduced by softening phrases like (no) me parece (I (don't) think). You will notice that in informal conversations, we can even omit what follows and simply say no me parece. Let's see some examples:
No, pero ves,
No, but you see,
ahí me parece que estás equivocado
there it seems to me that you are wrong
Captions 71-72, Muñeca Brava - 46 Recuperación
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Pues, la verdad no me parece muy buena idea porque
Well, I really don't think it's a very good idea because
anda por ahí el agente ese de seguridad preguntando por ti.
that security agent is out there asking about you.
Captions 19-20, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 4
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Que una chica se lo diga a un chico, ¿viste?
For a girl to say it to a guy, you see?
No... No me parece.
It doesn't... It doesn't seem right to me.
Caption 68, Muñeca Brava - 46 Recuperación
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We hope you all agree that these expressions will be useful, and quedemos en que las van a poner el práctica ahora mismo (let's agree that you will put them into practice right away). Trato hecho (deal)? And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.