ni siquiera
Not Even
Ni siquiera is an emphatic phrase used to mean 'not even'.
How It Works
Not Even
Ni siquiera emphasizes that even a contextually expected case does not hold. The expectation can concern an action, a person, an amount, or another phrase: Ni siquiera me saludó; Ni siquiera el profesor lo sabe; No dejó ni siquiera una moneda. The focus need not be the smallest physical quantity.
Before The Verb
Ni siquiera me llamó already contains negation. Do not add no to negate that same clause. The focused phrase can intervene: Ni siquiera el profesor sabe la respuesta. Thus the expression need not stand directly next to the finite verb.
After The Verb
A preceding negative commonly supports it: No me llamó ni siquiera una vez. Other negatives are possible: Salió sin mirarme siquiera. In many postverbal negative uses ni can be omitted, as in No me llamó siquiera una vez. This does not make an ordinary affirmative Me llamó ni siquiera una vez correct.
Focus And Meaning
Placement helps show what is being excluded. Ni siquiera Ana vino focuses on Ana; Ana no vino ni siquiera una vez focuses on the minimum frequency. The two sentences are not interchangeable merely because both contain ni siquiera.
Writing
Write ni as a separate word and siquiera as one word: ni siquiera, not nisiquiera or ni si quiera. These are distinct from a genuine si clause with a form of querer.
Examples (5)
- Ni siquiera me llamó para desearme feliz cumpleaños.
He didn't even call me to wish me a happy birthday.
Word by Word: Not even me he-called for to-wish-me happy birthday.
- El ladrón se llevó todo, no dejó ni siquiera una moneda.
The thief took everything; he didn't leave even one coin.
Word by Word: The thief himself took everything, not he-left not even one coin.
- Es tan difícil que ni siquiera el profesor sabe la respuesta.
It's so difficult that not even the professor knows the answer.
Word by Word: It-is so difficult that not even the professor knows the answer.
- No tengo ganas de salir, ni siquiera para ir al cine.
I don't feel like going out, not even to go to the movies.
Word by Word: Not I-have desire of to-go-out, not even for to-go to-the cinema.
- Después del accidente, ni siquiera podía recordar su propio nombre.
After the accident, he couldn't even remember his own name.
Word by Word: After of-the accident, not even he-could remember his own name.
Common Mistakes
Using 'no' and 'ni siquiera' together before the verb.
No ni siquiera lo intentó.Ni siquiera lo intentó.For ordinary negation of this single clause, use Ni siquiera lo intentó without another no. Postverbal placement can instead be No lo intentó ni siquiera. A separate preceding utterance No, followed by punctuation and another clause is a different structure.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'ni siquiera' (not even), learners first need to be comfortable with basic negation in Spanish. Since 'ni' is a negative conjunction, familiarity with how conjunctions connect ideas is also helpful for placing this emphatic expression correctly within a sentence.
- no + VerbBasic Negation
Ni siquiera is an emphatic form of negation that often works in conjunction with basic negative structures.
Foundations - y/o/pero/porqueBasic Conjunctions
Understanding basic conjunctions is necessary as 'ni' functions as a negative conjunction (neither/nor) within this emphatic phrase.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- ya no/todavía no/aún noTemporal Negation
These expressions, like 'ni siquiera', are specific types of negative adverbs. While 'ya no' and 'todavía no' specify the timing of a negation (no longer, not yet), 'ni siquiera' specifies the emphatic degree of the negation.
Level 5 - no solo...sino tambiénNot Only...But Also
This is a correlative conjunction used for adding information, acting as a positive counterpart to the emphatic exclusion of 'ni siquiera'. Both structures are used to draw attention to specific elements in a sentence, one by including them and the other by excluding them.
Level 5 - poder + InfinitiveAbility/Permission
'Ni siquiera' is frequently used with 'poder' to emphasize that someone lacks the ability to perform even the simplest or most basic action (e.g., 'Ni siquiera puede caminar' - He can't even walk).
Level 1 - me sorprende que + SubjunctiveSubjunctive with Surprise
Both structures relate to expectations. 'Ni siquiera' highlights when a minimum expectation is not met, often causing surprise. 'Me sorprende que' directly expresses this surprise, often about an unexpected action or lack thereof.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ni siquiera in Bubblegum
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