de ninguna manera
Lemma Details
Translation: in no way; by no means; not at all; under no circumstances; absolutely not
Part of Speech: adverbial phrase
Etymology: This phrase combines several Spanish elements: 'de' (of/from), 'ninguna' (no/none, feminine form of 'ninguno'), and 'manera' (way/manner). 'Ninguno' comes from Latin 'nec unum' meaning 'not one'. The construction parallels the English 'in no way' or 'by no means', creating an emphatic negative expression.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
De ninguna manera voy a aceptar esas condiciones.
I will not accept those conditions under any circumstances.
¿Puedo pagar mañana? De ninguna manera, necesito el dinero hoy.
Can I pay tomorrow? Absolutely not, I need the money today.
De ninguna manera permitiré que hables así a tu hermana.
I will not allow you to speak to your sister like that in any way.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'ninguna' as 'no one/none' and 'manera' as 'way' - literally 'in no way'
- Remember it as the Spanish equivalent of firmly saying 'absolutely not' or 'no way' in English
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This phrase is commonly used in Spanish to express strong refusal or denial. It's slightly more formal than some other negative expressions like 'ni hablar' but is widely used in everyday conversation across all Spanish-speaking countries.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'de ninguna manera' means 'in no way/not at all', 'de alguna manera' means 'somehow/in some way' - they have opposite meanings.
This word:
De ninguna manera voy a ir a esa fiesta.
I am not going to that party under any circumstances.
Confused word:
De alguna manera tenemos que resolver este problema.
Somehow we have to solve this problem.
Notes: These phrases are grammatical opposites, with 'ninguna' being the negative form and 'alguna' being the affirmative form.
Mnemonic: 'Ninguna' contains 'nin' which sounds like 'no' in English, while 'alguna' contains 'alg' which can remind you of 'algo' (something).
Explanation: 'De ninguna manera' expresses absolute refusal, while 'de cualquier manera' means 'anyway' or 'in any case'.
Notes: These phrases sound similar but have very different implications in conversation.
Mnemonic: 'Ninguna' = none, 'cualquier' = any/whatever - one refuses all possibilities, the other accepts any possibility.