Negation
Negation
The sentence-structure lesson already showed you the basic rule — this lesson goes further with the vocabulary negation actually needs, including a case where doubling up is required, not a mistake.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
não goes right before the verb — no auxiliary needed
Não falo português.
I don't speak Portuguese.
As the sentence-structure lesson introduced, negating a sentence just means placing não directly before the conjugated verb — there's no equivalent of English "do/does" to insert. Não falo português is a complete, natural sentence exactly as written, with nothing else needed.
Some negative words require não as well — a double negative that's correct
Não vejo ninguém.
I don't see anyone.
Words like nada (nothing), ninguém (no one), and nunca (never) still need não before the verb too: não vejo ninguém is literally "I-don't see nobody", and it's the only correct way to say "I don't see anyone". Where English treats a stacked negative as an error, Portuguese requires it whenever one of these words follows the verb.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
- English
- not / no
- English
- nothing
- English
- no one / nobody
- English
- never
- English
- not yet
- English
- there isn't
- English
- I don't know
- English
- it doesn't matter
- English
- I can't
- English
- I don't want