no + Verb

Simple Negation with No

Level 1

No normally goes before the finite verb to make a statement negative.

How It Works

Place no before the verb: no vinc, no tenim temps. With a weak pronoun, put no before the pronoun as well: no el veig, no m'agrada. No does not change for the subject's person or number.

In a compound tense or verbal group, negate before the finite auxiliary: no he dormit, no vaig venir. You do not need an extra verb equivalent to English do. The same word order works in negative questions, such as no tens gana?

Other negative words can appear in the same clause: no veig ningú and no tinc res are ordinary Catalan. A negative word placed before the verb can sometimes stand without another no, as in ningú ve. Learn those patterns separately rather than treating all repeated negative meaning as an error.

Examples (3)

  1. No parlo alemany.

    I do not speak German.

  2. No tinc les claus.

    I do not have the keys.

  3. No ho entenc.

    I do not understand it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

no + VerbLevel 1Simple Negation with No

Learn This First

Find the finite verb before placing no.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern