Language/Portuguese/Grammar/Negation

Portuguese Grammar - Negation

Hi Portuguese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on the use of negation in Portuguese, which is a very important part of the language. We will look at negative adverbs, negative pronouns, and the use of "não" and "nem" to create negative sentences. In addition to the grammar rules, we will also share some cultural information and interesting facts about the use of negation in Portuguese. So, let's get started!

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Conditional Mood, Adjectives, Irregular Verbs & Give your Opinion.

Negative adverbs

Negative adverbs in Portuguese are used to negate the meaning of a verb or adjective. Some common negative adverbs are "nunca" (never), "jamais" (never/ever), "nada" (nothing), "ninguém" (nobody), "nem" (neither/nor). Here are some examples:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Ele nunca bebe álcool.	el-ee noo-nca be-be ah-co-ol	He never drinks alcohol.
Eles jamais vão concordar.	el-es ja-mais vão con-coo-rdar	They will never agree.
Não tenho nada para fazer.	nao ten-oo na-da pa-ra fa-zer	I have nothing to do.
Ninguém quer ir ao cinema.	nin-guém ker eer ah-o sin-ema	Nobody wants to go to the cinema.
Nem eu nem ele gostamos de futebol.	nem e-u nem e-le gost-amus de foo-te-ball	Neither he nor I like football.

Negative pronouns

Negative pronouns in Portuguese are used to replace nouns in a negative sentence. They are used to express the idea of "nobody", "nothing", or "nowhere". Here are some examples:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Não vi ninguém na rua.	nao vee nin-guem na rua	I didn't see anybody in the street.
Não temos nada na geladeira.	nao te-mus na-da na je-la-dee-ra	We have nothing in the fridge.
Não estão em lugar nenhum.	nao es-tam em lu-gar ne-nhum	They are not anywhere.

Não and Nem

"Não" is the most common way to negate a sentence in Portuguese. Just like in English, it is placed before the verb. Here are some examples:

• Eu não falo espanhol. (I do not speak Spanish.)
• Você não gosta de doces? (Don't you like sweets?)

"Nem" is used when we want to express that two or more things are not true at the same time. Here are some examples:

• Ele não come carne nem peixe. (He does not eat meat or fish.)
• Ela não gosta de dançar nem de cantar. (She does not like to dance nor sing.)

It is also used in the expression "Nem pensar" which means "No way" or "Don't even think about it".

Dialogue

To help you understand better how to use negation in Portuguese, here is a dialogue between Paulo and Ana:

• Paulo: Você já foi à praia hoje? (Have you been to the beach today?)
• Ana: Não, não fui. (No, I haven't.)
• Paulo: Você gostou da festa ontem? (Did you like the party yesterday?)
• Ana: Não, eu não gostei muito. (No, I didn't like it very much.)

Interesting facts

Did you know that in Brazil, it is common to use double negation? For example, instead of saying "Não vi nada" (I didn't see anything), Brazilians often say "Eu não vi nada não". This is also called "pt-br:a dupla negação" (the double negation).

Practice makes perfect

To improve your Portuguese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Portuguese Grammar: Double Negatives
• Portuguese Negation: Learn How to Form Negative Sentences

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Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Articles
• Plurals
• Prepositions
• How to Use Have
• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Time
• How to Use be
• Porquê VS Porque