Spanish word

ni

Pronunciation

IPA/ni/

Meaning

  • conjunctionneither... nor

Example

No hay pan ni leche.

There is neither bread nor milk.

Illustration for ni (neither... nor)

More examples

Durante la excursión no había ni agua ni comida.

During the excursion there was neither water nor food.

Core concept

Two list entries struck through and connected by the marker ni...ni.

Common phrases

  • ni agua ni comida

    neither water nor food

Similar words

y: Connects and combines items or actions to show addition or continuation.
o: Connects alternatives to present one option from several.
sino: Introduces the corrective or contrasting alternative after a negation.
pero: Introduces a contrasting or qualifying idea to what was just said.

Definition in Spanish

Coordina elementos en oraciones negativas con la estructura 'ni... ni...' y que también puede preceder a verbos para enfatizar la negación.

Word origin

The Spanish ni comes from Latin nec 'not' through Vulgar Latin and survives in modern Spanish as the coordinator used to join negative elements.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English neither, ni can stand before a verb at the start of a clause without an auxiliary, so constructions like 'Ni quiero' or 'Ni pensar' convey emphatic refusal.

Other meanings

  • not evenadverb

Opposites

  • yboth... andconjunction

Word lists with this word