手早い答え
nada は物事、ninguém は人について使います。
確実な見分け方は、英語から訳す前に、その単語の働きを見きわめることです。
それぞれの単語の働き
nada
nothing or not anything
Use nada for the absence of a thing, action, or amount.
ninguém
nobody or not anybody
Use ninguém for the absence of a person.
選び方
- nada: Choose nada if the sentence points to the absence of a thing, action, or amount.
- ninguém: Choose ninguém if the sentence points to the absence of a person.
例文
Não comprei nada.
I did not buy anything.
Ninguém chegou cedo.
Nobody arrived early.
よくある落とし穴
When nada or ninguém comes after the verb, Portuguese normally also puts não before the verb.
文脈の中で練習する
自分の実生活から文を一つ選び、二回書いてみましょう。一度はnadaで、もう一度はninguémで。どちらも成り立ちそうなら、意味の違いを言葉にしてみましょう。