A cup of coffee next to an empty sugar bowl, illustrating the concept of 'without sugar'.

sin

/seen/

PrepositionA1

without?General use, indicating lack or absence

Also:minus?In a playful or informal way, like 'take away'

📝 In Action

Quiero un café sin azúcar, por favor.

I want a coffee without sugar, please.

No puedo vivir sin ti.

I can't live without you.

Salió de casa sin paraguas y empezó a llover.

He left home without an umbrella and it started to rain.

Es una película sin mucho sentido.

It's a movie without much sense.

Related Words

Synonyms

carente de (lacking)
falto de (lacking)

Antonyms

con (with)

Common Collocations

sin duda – without a doubt / definitely
sin embargo – however / nevertheless
sin querer – unintentionally / without meaning to
sin problema – no problem

Idioms & Expressions

estar sin blanca – to be broke / have no money
hablar sin pelos en la lengua – to speak bluntly / tell it like it is

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'Sin' with Nouns

Just put 'sin' before the thing that's missing. For example, 'café sin leche' (coffee without milk). It's that simple!

'Sin' + Action Word (Infinitive)

To say 'without doing something', use 'sin' followed by the basic '-ar', '-er', or '-ir' form of the action word. For example, 'Se fue sin decir adiós' (He left without saying goodbye).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'No' Instead of 'Sin'

Mistake: "Quiero café no leche."

Correction: Use 'sin' to mean 'without'. The correct way is 'Quiero café sin leche.' 'No' is usually used to make a whole sentence negative.

⭐ Usage Tips

A Powerful Opposite

Think of 'sin' as the direct opposite of 'con' (with). 'Café con leche' (coffee with milk) vs. 'café sin leche' (coffee without milk). They're a perfect pair to learn together.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: sin

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly says 'I prefer tea without milk'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

sinnúmero(countless number) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I say 'sin de nada' to mean 'without anything'?

Not quite. To say 'without anything' or 'without a thing', you would say 'sin nada'. For example, 'Volvió sin nada' (He came back with nothing). 'Sin' and 'nada' work together.

What's the difference between 'sin' and 'pero'?

'Sin' means something is missing ('without'), like 'un día sin sol' (a day without sun). 'Pero' means 'but' and is used to connect two contrasting ideas, like 'Hace sol, pero hace frío' (It's sunny, but it's cold).