ninguno
Lemma Details
Translation: none; no one; nobody; not any; not one
Part of Speech: pronoun
Etymology: Ninguno comes from Latin 'nec unus' meaning 'not one'. 'Nec' is a negative conjunction and 'unus' means 'one'. This etymology reveals its connection to English words like 'unique' and 'unit' (from Latin 'unus'). The negative prefix 'nin-' evolved from 'nec', similar to how English uses 'no' or 'not any'.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'ninguno' as 'not even one' or 'none' - the 'nin' part signals negation.
- Remember 'ninguno' by thinking 'NING-one-o' - as in 'not one'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish, 'ninguno' is part of a system of negative expressions that often require double negation. Unlike English, Spanish often uses multiple negatives to strengthen the negative meaning rather than cancel it out.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'ninguno' means 'none' or 'not any', 'alguno' means 'some' or 'any'. They are direct opposites.
Confused word:
Tengo algunos libros.
I have some books.
Notes: Remember that 'ninguno' is used in negative contexts, while 'alguno' is used in affirmative or interrogative contexts.
Mnemonic: Think of 'ninguno' starting with 'N' for 'No' and 'alguno' starting with 'A' for 'Any'.
Explanation: 'Ninguno' refers to 'none' or 'not any' of something, while 'nadie' specifically means 'nobody' or 'no person'.
Confused word:
Nadie vino a la fiesta.
Nobody came to the party.
Notes: Both are negative pronouns, but 'nadie' is specifically for people, while 'ninguno' can refer to people or things.
Mnemonic: 'Nadie' is for 'nobody' (people), while 'ninguno' is for 'none' (things or people).