Looking up...
no
/no/
no
¿Quieres ir al cine? — No, prefiero quedarme en casa.
Do you want to go to the movies? — No, I prefer to stay home.
formalinformal
Used to express negation or refusal.
No sé la respuesta.
I don’t know the answer.
No me gusta el café.
I don’t like coffee.
Can be used alone or with verbs to negate statements.
formalinformal
Used before a noun or adjective to negate it.
No es mi problema.
It’s not my problem.
No hay nadie aquí.
There’s no one here.
Often used in existential constructions with 'haber'.
Pro Tip
Positioning
In Spanish, 'no' typically comes before the verb it negates. For example: 'No como carne' (I don’t eat meat) vs. English 'I don’t eat meat'.
Word Origin
From Latin 'non', via Old Spanish 'no'.
Usage Notes
In Spanish, 'no' is placed before the verb it negates. In compound tenses, it precedes the auxiliary verb (e.g., 'No he terminado').
Diccionario Español-Inglés