A rustic, woven wooden basket sitting on a patch of green grass, completely empty inside, symbolizing the concept of 'no' or 'not any'.

ningún

/neen-GOON/

AdjectivemA1

no?before a singular noun, e.g., 'no problem',not any?e.g., 'I don't have any money'

📝 In Action

No tengo ningún problema.

I don't have any problem / I have no problem.

Ningún estudiante sabía la respuesta.

No student knew the answer.

No hay ningún motivo para estar triste.

There is no reason to be sad.

Word Connections

Antonyms

algún (some, any)

Common Collocations

de ningún modo – in no way, by no means
en ningún caso – in no case, under no circumstances
sin ningún problema – without any problem

Idioms & Expressions

no tener ningún pelo de tonto – to be nobody's fool, to be very clever

💡 Grammar Points

The Short Form of 'Ninguno'

ningún is the special, shortened version of the word ninguno. You must use this short form whenever you place it directly before a masculine noun (like libro, chico, coche).

Always Singular

Even when English might use a plural (like 'no problems'), Spanish almost always uses the singular. So, you'll say ningún problema (no problem), not ningunos problemas.

Double Negatives are Correct!

In Spanish, it's perfectly normal and correct to have two 'no' words. If ningún comes after the verb, you must also add no before the verb. Example: No vi a ningún amigo. (I didn't see any friend.)

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Ninguno' Before a Noun

Mistake: "No tengo ninguno libro."

Correction: No tengo ningún libro. Remember to always use the short form `ningún` when it comes right before a masculine noun.

Forgetting the 'No' at the Beginning

Mistake: "Vi a ningún amigo en la fiesta."

Correction: No vi a ningún amigo en la fiesta. If the verb comes first, you need to put `no` in front of it to make the sentence negative.

Using it with Feminine Nouns

Mistake: "No tengo ningún idea."

Correction: No tengo ninguna idea. For feminine nouns like `idea`, you must use the feminine form `ninguna`.

⭐ Usage Tips

Opposite of 'Algún'

Think of ningún as the direct opposite of algún ('some'). ¿Tienes algún libro? (Do you have any book?) -> No, no tengo ningún libro. (No, I don't have any book.)

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ningún

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly says 'I don't have any car'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ninguno(none, not one) - pronoun/adjective

ninguna(no, not any (feminine)) - adjective

ningunear(to ignore, to belittle) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between `ningún` and `ninguno`?

`ningún` is a special short form you must use right before a masculine noun (like `ningún libro`). `ninguno` is used when it stands alone, replacing a noun (for example, if someone asks `¿Cuántos libros tienes?`, you can answer `Ninguno.`)

Can I ever use `ningún` with a plural noun?

It's extremely rare. In over 99% of cases, you'll use `ningún` with a singular noun. This is a key difference from English, where we often say things like 'I have no problems.' In Spanish, you'd say `No tengo ningún problema` (singular).

Why do I sometimes see `ninguno` after a noun, like `amigo ninguno`?

This is a very old-fashioned or poetic way of speaking that you'll almost never hear or need to use. The modern, standard way is to always put `ningún` before the noun: `ningún amigo`.