por supuesto que no
Lemma Details
Translation: of course not; certainly not; absolutely not
Part of Speech: phrase
Etymology: This phrase combines 'por supuesto' (of course) with the negative 'que no'. 'Por supuesto' comes from 'por' (for, by) and 'supuesto' (supposed, assumed), literally meaning 'for what is supposed' or 'as is assumed'. When combined with 'que no', it creates an emphatic negative response.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
—¿Te molesta si abro la ventana? —Por supuesto que no.
—Do you mind if I open the window? —Of course not.
Por supuesto que no voy a mentirte sobre algo tan importante.
Of course I'm not going to lie to you about something so important.
—¿Estás enfadado conmigo? —Por supuesto que no, solo estoy cansado.
—Are you angry with me? —Of course not, I'm just tired.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'supuesto' as 'supposed' - 'por supuesto que no' means 'it is supposed/assumed that no'
- Remember 'por supuesto' (of course) + 'que no' (that not) = 'of course not'
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This is a very common and polite way to emphatically refuse or deny something in Spanish. It's used in both formal and informal contexts and doesn't carry any negative connotations despite being a strong negative response.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Por supuesto' means 'of course' in an affirmative sense, while 'por supuesto que no' is specifically negative, meaning 'of course not'.
Notes: The addition of 'que no' completely reverses the meaning from affirmative to negative.
Mnemonic: Remember that 'por supuesto que no' has the extra 'que no' (that not) which makes it negative.
Explanation: 'Por supuesto que sí' means 'of course yes' or 'certainly yes', while 'por supuesto que no' means 'of course not'.
Notes: These phrases are direct opposites, with only the final word changing.
Mnemonic: Focus on the final word: 'sí' (yes) vs 'no' (no) - they determine whether the phrase is affirmative or negative.