Inklingo
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negó

/neh-GOH/

denied

A storybook illustration showing an adult shaking their head firmly and crossing their arms while a small child points at an empty cookie jar, illustrating denial of a statement or claim.

She negó (denied) the accusation that she ate the last cookie.

negó(verb)

A2irregular (e-ie stem change in present, and spelling change in preterite yo form) ar

denied

?

to state that something is untrue or incorrect

Also:

refuted

?

to prove a statement or theory to be wrong

📝 In Action

Ella negó rotundamente las acusaciones en su contra.

B1

She flatly denied the accusations against her.

El niño negó que se comió el chocolate, pero tenía la cara sucia.

A2

The boy denied that he ate the chocolate, but his face was dirty.

Usted negó cualquier conocimiento del plan.

B2

You (formal) denied any knowledge of the plan.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • desmentir (to contradict/deny)
  • rechazar (to reject)

Antonyms

  • admitió (he/she admitted)
  • afirmó (he/she affirmed)

Common Collocations

  • negó la verdad – he/she denied the truth
  • negó su participación – he/she denied their involvement

💡 Grammar Points

The 'e' to 'ie' Rule

The base verb 'negar' changes the 'e' to 'ie' when stressed (like in the present tense: 'niega'), but the past tense 'negó' is regular and does not change the stem.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Accent

Mistake: "Using 'nego' (which means 'I deny' in an informal context or is simply incorrect preterite form)."

Correction: The simple past form must have an accent on the 'o' to show the stress falls there: 'negó'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Watch the Preterite 'Yo' Form

To maintain the hard 'g' sound before the 'e', the 'yo' form of the preterite requires a spelling change: 'negué'. This only happens in the 'yo' form of the simple past.

A storybook illustration of a large, stylized rabbit standing in front of a brightly colored wooden gate, using its body and outstretched arms to block a small cartoon mouse from accessing the lock with a key, illustrating refusal of access.

The guard negó (refused) entry to the traveler.

negó(verb)

B1irregular (same as above) ar

refused

?

to refuse permission or access

Also:

withheld

?

to keep back or hide something

📝 In Action

El banco le negó el préstamo para la casa.

B1

The bank refused him the loan for the house.

Ella negó la entrada a la fiesta a los invitados no deseados.

B2

She refused entry to the unwanted guests at the party.

El jefe nos negó el aumento salarial.

B1

The boss refused us the salary increase.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • denegó (he/she denied/refused)
  • rehusó (he/she refused)

Antonyms

  • permitió (he/she allowed)
  • otorgó (he/she granted)

Common Collocations

  • negó el acceso – he/she denied access
  • negó la ayuda – he/she refused help

💡 Grammar Points

Direct Object Use

When 'negar' means 'to refuse,' it almost always needs an object (like 'the loan' or 'the entry') to show what was refused.

⭐ Usage Tips

Refusing vs. Denying

If you are talking about an idea or a claim, use the 'deny' meaning. If you are talking about giving a physical thing or permission, use the 'refuse' meaning.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedniega
yoniego
túniegas
ellos/ellas/ustedesniegan
nosotrosnegamos
vosotrosnegáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustednegaba
yonegaba
túnegabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesnegaban
nosotrosnegábamos
vosotrosnegabais

preterite

él/ella/ustednegó
yonegué
túnegaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesnegaron
nosotrosnegamos
vosotrosnegasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedniegue
yoniegue
túniegues
ellos/ellas/ustedesnieguen
nosotrosneguemos
vosotrosneguéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustednegara/negase
yonegara/negase
túnegaras/negases
ellos/ellas/ustedesnegaran/negasen
nosotrosnegáramos/negásemos
vosotrosnegarais/negaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: negó

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'negó' to mean 'refused access'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

negar(to deny (infinitive)) - verb
negación(denial) - noun
negativa(refusal) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'negó' a regular verb?

No. While the simple past form 'negó' looks regular, the base verb 'negar' is irregular because the 'e' changes to 'ie' in the present tense (niego, niegas, etc.) and the 'yo' form of the simple past has a spelling change ('negué') to keep the hard 'g' sound.

What is the difference between 'negó' and 'dijo que no'?

'Negó' is stronger and often implies denying a specific accusation or refusing a formal request ('He denied the crime'). 'Dijo que no' is simply 'He said no' and is used for simpler, less formal refusals.