ni
Lemma Details
Translation: neither; nor; not even
Part of Speech: conjunction
Etymology: Derived from Latin 'nec' meaning 'and not' or 'nor', which was a contraction of 'neque'. This negative conjunction has maintained its core function from Latin to modern Spanish, serving as a key element in negative constructions. The English cognate would be the negative conjunction 'nor', though 'ni' is used more extensively in Spanish than 'nor' is in English.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'ni' as the 'n' in 'neither' and 'nor'
- Remember that 'ni' negates things in pairs: 'ni esto ni aquello' (neither this nor that)
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish, 'ni' is essential for forming negative correlations and is used much more frequently than its English counterpart 'nor'. It's a fundamental part of everyday speech and writing, appearing in many common expressions and idioms.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While both are negative words, 'ni' is used for connecting negative elements or emphasizing a negative ('neither/nor/not even'), whereas 'no' is the basic negation word ('not').
Confused word:
No quiero ir al cine.
I don't want to go to the movies.
Notes: 'Ni' often appears in pairs (ni...ni) similar to 'neither...nor' in English, while 'no' typically appears once in a sentence.
Mnemonic: 'Ni' connects negatives, while 'no' stands alone as the basic negation.
Explanation: 'Ni' and 'y' are both conjunctions, but 'ni' is negative ('nor') while 'y' is positive ('and').
Notes: When a sentence changes from positive to negative, 'y' often changes to 'ni'.
Mnemonic: Think of 'ni' as the negative version of 'y'.