no
“no” means “no” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
no, not
Also: don't / doesn't
📝 In Action
¿Quieres café? —No, gracias.
A1Do you want coffee? —No, thank you.
Yo no soy de España.
A1I am not from Spain.
Ella no habla inglés.
A1She doesn't speak English.
Hace buen tiempo, ¿no?
A2It's nice weather, isn't it?
no
Also: refusal, denial
📝 In Action
Recibí un no rotundo como respuesta.
B1I received a firm no as an answer.
Es difícil aceptar un no.
B1It's hard to accept a no.
Su futuro depende de un sí o un no.
B2His future depends on a yes or a no.
Translate to Spanish
🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: no
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence is grammatically correct in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'nōn', which also meant 'not'. It's a very old and stable word that has changed very little over thousands of years.
First recorded: Before the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Spanish speakers say 'no... nada'? Isn't that a double negative?
Yes, it is! But in Spanish, double negatives are not only correct, they're required. If you use a negative word like 'nada' (nothing) or 'nadie' (nobody) *after* the verb, you must also put 'no' *before* the verb. It reinforces the negative idea, rather than cancelling it out like in English.
What's the difference between 'no' and 'tampoco'?
'No' is the general word for 'not' or 'no'. 'Tampoco' is more specific; it means 'not either' or 'neither'. You use it to agree with a negative statement. If someone says 'No me gusta el frío' (I don't like the cold), you would reply 'A mí tampoco' (Me neither).
Can I just say 'No.' to answer a question?
Absolutely! Just like in English, 'No.' is a complete and perfectly polite answer to a yes/no question. You can add 'gracias' (thank you) to be extra polite, as in 'No, gracias'.