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“No tengo nada”: two negatives are right

CEFR A1 · part 27 minInstant feedback

edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.

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The rule, in three lines

If the negative word comes AFTER the verb, the no stays: no tengo nada, no veo a nadie, no voy nunca. If it comes BEFORE, the no goes: nadie vino, nunca voy. Two negatives in one sentence are not a mistake in Spanish — they are the rule.

The usual slip. Dropping the no because two negatives feel wrong: tengo nada, veo a nadie.

Why it catches you out. Your school English taught you that “I don't have nothing” is bad grammar, and that lesson fights you here: in Spanish it is the correct sentence. The test is position, not logic — negative word after the verb, keep the “no”.