não...nunca

Not...Never

Level 3

In Portuguese, negative words like nunca (never) often require a não before the verb if they appear after the verb. This is called 'negative concord' and it reinforces the negation rather than canceling it out.

How It Works

Portuguese uses a system of negative concord. This means that if a negative word like nunca follows the verb, the sentence must also be 'flagged' as negative by the word não.

Key Rules:

  • Neutral Standard: Placing the negative word before the verb is the most common and neutral way to express negation. Example: Eu nunca vou lá.
  • Emphatic/Colloquial: If nunca comes after the verb, não is mandatory before the verb. This is very common in speech to add emphasis. Example: Eu não vou nunca lá.
  • Pronoun Placement: Negative words are 'magnets' that trigger proclisis, meaning object pronouns must move before the verb (e.g., Não me diga).
  • Multiple Negatives: You can stack several negative words like não...nada or não...ninguém in one sentence (e.g., Não vi nada nunca).
  • Brazilian Final 'Não': In Brazil, you will often hear a second 'não' at the very end of a sentence for reinforcement (e.g., Não sei, não).

Examples (5)

  1. Eu não vou nunca a esse restaurante.

    I never go to that restaurant.

    Word by Word: I not go never to that restaurant.

    The 'não' before the verb allows 'nunca' to be placed after it for emphasis in spoken language.

  2. Eles não voltaram nunca mais.

    They never came back again.

    Word by Word: They not returned never more.

    Commonly used with 'mais' to mean 'never again'.

  3. Eu não o vejo nunca.

    I never see him.

    Word by Word: I not him see never.

    Negative words like 'não' and 'nunca' trigger proclisis, pulling the object pronoun before the verb.

  4. Eu não disse nada a ninguém nunca.

    I never said anything to anyone.

    Word by Word: I not said nothing to nobody never.

    Portuguese allows stacking multiple negative words (negative concord) as long as the sentence starts with a negative marker.

  5. Eu não quero, não.

    I really don't want to.

    Word by Word: I not want, no.

    In informal Brazilian Portuguese, it is common to repeat 'não' at the end of a sentence for extra emphasis.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'nunca' after the verb without 'não'.

    Eu vou nunca lá.
    Eu não vou nunca lá.

    In Portuguese, a negative word after the verb cannot negate the sentence alone; you must include 'não' before the verb.

  • Using both 'não' and 'nunca' before the verb.

    Eu não nunca vi isso.
    Eu nunca vi isso.

    If 'nunca' comes before the verb, it already negates the sentence, so 'não' becomes redundant and incorrect.

How It Connects

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

não...nuncaLevel 3Not...Never

Learn This First

To understand 'não...nunca', you need to be comfortable with basic verb conjugation, as the pattern involves placing 'não' before the verb. It is also helpful to understand the general concept of double negation in Portuguese, where a negative word like 'nunca' (never) often requires the standard negative particle 'não' before the verb for emphasis or grammatical completeness.

Words in This Pattern

nunca