Have you noticed that in Portuguese we use two negatives in the same sentence? I want to show you how to use double negatives in Portuguese to speak not only naturally, but also correctly.
For example:
Eu não disse nada. (Literally: I didn’t say nothing.)
This might sound strange to English speakers, but in Portuguese, that’s exactly how we speak correctly and naturally.
Today, I want to show you how we use the following indefinite pronouns in negative sentences:
- Nada (nothing)
- Ninguém (no one, nobody)
- Nenhum/nenhuma (none, not any)
Nada
Nada means nothing.
Here is an example using nada:
Eu não quero comer nada. (I don’t want to eat anything.)
In Portuguese, we don’t say: “Eu quero nada.” (I want nothing.)
The correct sentence is with the double negative.
Another very common example in our daily lives is the following: you’re walking on the street, and someone accidentally bumps into you. The person apologizes. You can say:
— Não foi nada. (It was nothing.)
Tip
The word nada is never followed by a noun (thing, person, place, animal).
Don’t say: Não quero comer nada comida.
Say: Não quero nada. (I don’t want anything.)
Here’s another example of the double negative in the title of a book:
Não tem nada de errado com você. (There is nothing wrong with you.)
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Ninguém
Ninguém means no one, nobody.
Here’s an example using niguém:
Não tem ninguém aqui. (There’s no one here.)
Don’t say: Tem ninguém aqui.
Remember: we need the double negative.
Tip:
The word ninguém is never followed by a noun.
So, don’t say: Não tem ninguém pessoa aqui.
Say: Não tem ninguém aqui.
Here’s another example: imagine you went to a small concert. It’s the kind of place where you usually run into familiar faces. The next day, someone asks you: “Did you see anyone there?” You can answer:
Não vi ninguém conhecido. (I didn’t see anyone I knew.)
Nenhum/Nenhuma
Nenhum means none, not any.
The feminine version in nenhuma.
For instance:
Não tem problema nenhum. (There’s no problem.)
Don’t say: Tem problema nenhum. (There is no problem.) We need the double negative in Portuguese.
Here is an example using nenhuma:
Eu não encontrei solução nenhuma. (I found no solution.)
But take note!
The words nada, ninguém and nenhum don’t always need to be used with a double negative. They can appear on their own in affirmative sentences. Por exemplo:
- Ninguém é perfeito. (No one is perfect.)
- Nada é impossível. (Nothing is impossible.)
When we use a negative structure, the double negative becomes necessary
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