Spanish Negation in the Past: Using 'no' + Verb to Say 'Didn't'
Learn to form negative past sentences in Spanish using 'no' before the verb, equivalent to English 'didn't' + base verb.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, to say someone didn't do something in the past, we use 'didn't' plus the base verb, as in 'I didn't see him.' Spanish does not have a separate word like 'didn't.' Instead, it expresses negation by placing 'no' directly before the conjugated verb in the past tense. This lesson teaches you how to form negative past sentences in Latin American Spanish, focusing on the preterite tense, which is used for completed past actions. You will learn to negate regular and common irregular verbs, and you will practice using these structures in everyday conversation.
By the end, you can…
- form negative past sentences in Spanish using 'no' + verb in the preterite tense.
- correctly negate regular and common irregular verbs in the past.
- use negative past sentences to talk about what I or others didn't do.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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No vi a Juan.
I didn't see Juan.
noh vee ah HWAHN
Use 'no' before the verb 'vi' (I saw). The personal 'a' is used before a direct object that is a specific person.
No fui a la fiesta.
I didn't go to the party.
noh fwee ah lah FYES-tah
The verb 'fui' means 'I went' (irregular preterite of 'ir'). 'No' makes it negative.
Ella no comió nada.
She didn't eat anything.
EH-yah noh koh-MYOH NAH-dah
In Spanish, double negatives are common. 'No' before the verb and 'nada' after are both required.
No pudimos llegar a tiempo.
We couldn't arrive on time.
noh poo-DEE-mohs yeh-GAR ah TYEM-poh
'Pudimos' is the preterite of 'poder' (to be able to). Negation with 'no' means 'we couldn't' or 'we failed to'.
No te llamé porque estaba ocupado.
I didn't call you because I was busy.
noh teh yah-MEH por-KEH es-tah-bah oh-koo-PAH-doh
The object pronoun 'te' comes before the verb. 'No' goes before the pronoun: 'No te llamé'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To make a past sentence negative in Spanish, simply place 'no' directly before the conjugated verb. This works for all verbs in the preterite tense, whether regular or irregular. For example: 'Hablé' (I spoke) becomes 'No hablé' (I didn't speak). 'Comí' (I ate) becomes 'No comí' (I didn't eat). 'Fui' (I went) becomes 'No fui' (I didn't go). If there is an object pronoun, it goes between 'no' and the verb: 'No lo vi' (I didn't see it). If there is a reflexive pronoun, it also goes after 'no': 'No me levanté' (I didn't get up).
When to use it
Use this structure whenever you want to deny that an action happened in the past. It is equivalent to English 'didn't' + verb. For example, if someone asks '¿Viste la película?' (Did you see the movie?), you can answer 'No, no la vi' (No, I didn't see it). Note that Spanish often requires double negation when words like 'nada' (nothing), 'nadie' (nobody), 'nunca' (never), or 'tampoco' (neither) follow the verb. For example: 'No dije nada' (I didn't say anything), 'No vino nadie' (Nobody came). In these cases, 'no' must still precede the verb.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Fuiste al mercado ayer?
Did you go to the market yesterday?FWEES-teh ahl mer-KAH-doh ah-YEHRNo, no fui. No tuve tiempo.
No, I didn't go. I didn't have time.noh, noh fwee. noh TOO-veh TYEM-poh¿Y compraste las frutas?
And did you buy the fruits?ee kohm-PRAS-teh lahs FROO-tahsNo, no las compré. Tampoco hice la cena.
No, I didn't buy them. I didn't make dinner either.noh, noh lahs kohm-PREH. tahm-POH-koh EE-seh lah SEH-nahA little context goes a long way
In Latin American Spanish, the preterite tense is the standard for completed past actions, and negation with 'no' is universal. In Spain, the present perfect is often used for recent past events, so 'No he visto' (I haven't seen) may be preferred over 'No vi' in some contexts. However, in Latin America, 'No vi' is perfectly normal. Double negatives are grammatically correct and expected in Spanish, unlike in English. For example, 'No vi nada' literally means 'I didn't see nothing,' but it is the correct way to say 'I didn't see anything.'
One thing to watch for
Using 'no' after the verb, as in 'Vi no a Juan'.
Try this instead: In Spanish, 'no' must come before the conjugated verb. The correct sentence is 'No vi a Juan' (I didn't see Juan). Remember: negation word first, then verb.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I didn't eat' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
No comí.
'No' precedes the first-person preterite form 'comí' of the verb 'comer'. This is the standard negative past construction.
2Translate: 'She didn't want to go.' (Use the verb 'querer'.)
Show a sample answer
Ella no quiso ir.
'Quiso' is the third-person preterite of 'querer'. 'No' goes before it. 'Ir' means 'to go'. Alternative: 'Ella no quería ir' uses the imperfect, which can also express 'didn't want' in some contexts, but preterite is more common for a specific instance.
3Make this sentence negative: 'Vimos la película.' (We saw the movie.)
Show a sample answer
No vimos la película.
Simply add 'no' before 'vimos'. The object 'la película' remains after the verb.
To say 'didn't' in Spanish, put 'no' directly before the past tense verb. Remember that double negatives are correct and often required.
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