A2 (Elementary)Lesson 4: Negation, Affirmation & Imperative
Portuguese negation starts simple — "não" goes before the verb — but unlike English, it stacks. "Não vi nada" (literally "I didn't see nothing") is perfectly correct, and Brazilians happily pile up nada, ninguém, and nunca, all reinforcing the same negative.
Basic negation: não + verb — Não falo inglês
Double negative: não + verb + nada / ninguém / nunca / nenhum — and it's CORRECT, not sloppy
Negative words: nada, ninguém, nunca, jamais, nenhum, nem
Negative word first → normally no additional não in these standard patterns: Ninguém veio
não... mais (no longer) · ainda não (not yet)
Very Brazilian: a second não at the end — Não sei não
Position: não normally precedes the conjugated verb; other negative words can come before or after it.
não + verb · não + verb + negative word (nada / ninguém / nunca) · negative word + verb
Sign up to save your progress, practice exercises and unlock all grammar content.
Portuguese negative concord differs from the usual standard English pattern. Não vi nada is literally "I didn't see nothing" — and it's perfect grammar. Get comfortable here and you'll stop translating negatives one-to-one, understand why a Brazilian says não two or three times in a single breath, and catch the context-sensitive sentence-final não (Não sei não) that colours everyday speech. From a flat Não quero to an emphatic Não, não e não!, this is how you say no like you mean it.
| Affirmative | Negative | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Eu falo | Eu não falo | I don't speak |
| Ela trabalha | Ela não trabalha | She doesn't work |
| Nós vamos | Nós não vamos | We don't go |
| Eles comem | Eles não comem | They don't eat |
"Não entendo português muito bem." (I don't understand Portuguese very well.)
"Ela não mora mais aqui." (She doesn't live here anymore.)
"Não podemos sair hoje." (We can't go out today.)
"Não sei o que fazer." (I don't know what to do.)
"Não vi ninguém na festa." (I didn't see anyone at the party.)
"Não comprei nada no shopping." (I didn't buy anything at the mall.)
"Não tenho nenhum dinheiro." (I don't have any money.)
"Não como nem carne nem peixe." (I eat neither meat nor fish.)
In these standard patterns, when a word such as ninguém, nada or nunca comes before the verb, it normally supplies the negation without an additional não:
Ninguém veio. (Nobody came.)
Nada funciona. (Nothing works.)
Nunca pensei nisso. (I never thought of that.)
In these short reactions, nem has the sense of "not even":
Nem pensar! (No way! / Don't even think about it!)
Nem morto! (Not in a million years! — lit. "not even dead")
Nem a pau! (No way! — very colloquial)
Here is a negation trap that has nothing to do with grammar. In Brazil, a clerk or waiter greets you with "Pois não?" — which, despite containing não (no), means "Yes? How can I help you?". "Pois sim!" can express agreement, but with ironic intonation it can mean "Yeah, right — no way!". Context and intonation distinguish the affirmative and ironic uses.
Sources: Aulete — pois, Aulete — sim
Get full access to grammar lessons, exercises, vocabulary and personalized review with a free Falando account.
