ninguno

/neen-GOO-no/

no

An illustration of a wide-open, empty toy box sitting on the floor of a colorful room, symbolizing the absence of any item.

As an adjective, ninguno (or ningún / ninguna) means 'no' or 'not any'. This empty box illustrates having no toys.

ninguno(Adjective)

mA2

before a noun, e.g., 'no book'

not any

e.g., 'I don't have any money'

Also:

not a single

for emphasis

📝 In Action

No tengo ningún problema.

I don't have any problem.

Ninguna persona vino a la fiesta.

No person came to the party.

No hay ninguna razón para estar triste.

There is no reason to be sad.

Word Connections

Antonyms

alguno (some, any)
todo (all, every)

Common Collocations

de ninguna manera – no way, by no means
en ningún caso – in no case
sin duda ninguna – without any doubt

💡 Grammar Points

The "Double Negative" Rule

In Spanish, it's correct and often required to use 'no' before the verb and 'ninguno' after it. Think of it as reinforcing the 'no'. For example: 'No tengo ningún libro' means 'I don't have any book'.

Meet 'Ningún'

When 'ninguno' comes right before a masculine noun (a word like 'chico' or 'libro'), it shortens to 'ningún'. Example: 'ningún amigo' (no friend), not 'ninguno amigo'.

Meet 'Ninguna'

When talking about feminine nouns (words like 'chica' or 'casa'), use 'ninguna'. It never shortens. Example: 'ninguna casa' (no house).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'no'

Mistake: "Tengo ningún problema."

Correction: NO tengo ningún problema. In Spanish, if you use a negative word like 'ninguno' after the verb, you almost always need to put 'no' before the verb too.

Using 'ninguno' for 'ningún'

Mistake: "No hay ninguno coche aquí."

Correction: No hay ningún coche aquí. Before a masculine noun, 'ninguno' always shortens to 'ningún'.

Using the Plural Form

Mistake: "No tengo ningunos amigos."

Correction: No tengo ningún amigo. 'Ninguno' is almost always used with a singular noun, even when English might use a plural. It's like saying 'not one single friend'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Singular is Key

Remember that 'ninguno' and its forms are followed by a singular noun. It emphasizes the idea of 'not even one'. So, you say 'ningún libro' (no book), not 'ningunos libros'.

A row of five brightly colored coat hooks mounted on a wall. All five hooks are completely empty, representing 'none' from a specific group.

As a pronoun, ninguno means 'none' or 'no one' when referring to a specific group. None of the hooks are currently holding coats.

ninguno(Pronoun)

mA2

none

referring to things

no one

referring to people in a group

Also:

not one

for emphasis

📝 In Action

¿Cuántos libros tienes? — Ninguno.

How many books do you have? — None.

Ninguno de mis amigos habla japonés.

None of my friends speak Japanese.

Le pregunté a varias personas, pero ninguna sabía la respuesta.

I asked several people, but no one knew the answer.

Word Connections

Synonyms

nadie (nobody, no one)

Antonyms

alguno (some, one)
alguien (someone, somebody)
todos (all, everyone)

Common Collocations

ninguno de ellos – none of them (masculine/mixed group)
ninguna de ellas – none of them (feminine group)

💡 Grammar Points

Stands Alone to Replace a Noun

As a pronoun, 'ninguno' takes the place of a noun. Use 'ninguno' for masculine things/people and 'ninguna' for feminine ones. Example: '¿Quieres una galleta? No, gracias, no quiero ninguna.' (Want a cookie? No thanks, I don't want one.)

The Plural Form is Super Rare

You will almost never see 'ningunos' or 'ningunas'. It’s only used for things that are always plural, like 'gafas' (glasses). For now, just focus on using the singular forms.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing up 'ninguno' and 'nadie'

Mistake: "Ninguno está en casa."

Correction: Nadie está en casa. Use 'nadie' for 'nobody' in general. Use 'ninguno' when you mean 'none of a specific group', like 'Ninguno de los estudiantes está en casa' (None of the students is at home).

⭐ Usage Tips

The 'None of...' Pattern

A very common and useful phrase structure is 'Ninguno de...' or 'Ninguna de...' which means 'None of...'. For example, 'Ninguno de mis hermanos vive aquí' means 'None of my brothers live here'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ninguno

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ningunear(to ignore, to belittle, to treat as a nobody) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'ninguno' and 'nada'?

Great question! 'Ninguno' means 'none' or 'no/not any' and refers to countable things or people (like books, friends). 'Nada' means 'nothing' and refers to uncountable things or concepts (like time, information, or just 'nothing' in general). Example: 'No tengo ningún libro' (I have no book) vs. 'No tengo nada' (I have nothing).

Why do I have to use 'no' and 'ninguno' in the same sentence? Isn't that a double negative?

It is a double negative, but in Spanish, that's the correct way to do it! Unlike in English where it's considered an error, in Spanish, you need to 'negate' the verb with 'no' if a negative word like 'ninguno' or 'nadie' comes after it. It helps reinforce the negative idea.

Can I ever use the plural 'ningunos' or 'ningunas'?

It's extremely rare. You would only use it for nouns that are always plural, like 'gafas' (glasses) or 'tijeras' (scissors). For example, 'No compré ningunas gafas de sol.' (I didn't buy any sunglasses). For 99% of situations, you should stick to the singular 'ningún' or 'ninguna'.