No sé nada.
I don't know anything.
This line has two negatives, no before the verb and nada after it, and once nada follows the verb that no is required.
From Star Trek II: la ira de Khan · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "nothing" in Spanish
nada
pronouninvariabledouble negative: no ... nada
"Nothing" in Spanish is nada. When it comes after the verb, Spanish also puts no before the verb, so "I don't know anything" is No sé nada. The same word gives you de nada, "you're welcome".
Hear "nada" in real movie scenes
Nada at the end, then nada at the start. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Nada es verdad.
Nothing is true.
Here there is only one negative, because nada opens the sentence and carries it alone, in a line that can shut down any argument.
From Dr. Cable · Spanish audio
Everyday phrases with nada
Six phrases you'll hear in shops, on the street and among friends.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| De nada. | You're welcome. |
| No pasa nada. | It's fine. / No problem. |
| Nada más, gracias. | Nothing else, thanks. |
| No tiene nada que ver. | It has nothing to do with it. |
| antes que nada | first of all |
| casi nada | almost nothing |
Tip: De nada is literally "of nothing", and it's the standard answer to gracias.
Grammar: no ... nada
Four rules for saying nothing in Spanish.
The double negative is correct
No tengo nada. With nada after the verb, no goes before the verb. In Spanish the two negatives don't cancel out.Nada first, no extra no
Nada es verdad. When nada starts the sentence, it's negative enough by itself.Nada or nadie
nada is for things, nadie is for people: No hay nada (there's nothing), No hay nadie (there's nobody).Nada can mean "at all"
After a verb, nada can strengthen the no: No me gusta nada means I don't like it at all.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
No tengo nada.
I don't have anything.
No hay nada.
There's nothing there.
Vale, ya no sé nada.
Okay, I don't know anything anymore.
De nada.
You're welcome.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Sé nada
✓No sé nada
When nada follows the verb, the sentence needs no before the verb as well.
✗Nada no es verdad
✓Nada es verdad
With nada at the front, an extra no makes the sentence wrong.
✗No hay nadie (meaning there's nothing)
✓No hay nada
Nadie means nobody. For objects, use nada.
✗De nada (after someone says lo siento)
✓No pasa nada
De nada answers a thank-you. When someone apologizes, no pasa nada tells them it's fine.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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How to remember it
Nada sounds like "not a", as in not a thing. Shrug, open your empty hands and say No tengo nada.
Questions about "nothing" in Spanish
How do you say nothing in Spanish?
Nada. In a full sentence, add no before the verb: No hay nada.
Why do Spanish speakers say no ... nada?
Spanish uses the double negative on purpose. No sé nada is correct, standard Spanish for "I don't know anything".
What does de nada mean?
De nada means "you're welcome". You say it when someone thanks you.
How do you say "nothing else" in Spanish?
Nada más. At a counter, Nada más, gracias tells the clerk you have everything you need.
