Using nada to say nothing or not anything

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Learn how to say "nothing" in Spanish

We use the indefinite pronoun nada to say nothing or not anything.

Read and listen to these examples:

No vimos nada desde nuestro asiento.We couldn't see anything from our seats.

Miguel no ha comido nada desde esta mañana.Miguel hasn't eaten anything since this morning.

In the examples above, we use nada preceded by the negation no + verb. In this case, we can translate nada as not anything in English. 

Nada es para siempre.Nothing is forever.

Nada va a cambiar entre nosotros.Nothing is going to change between us.

In the examples from above, observe how when nada is placed at the front of the sentence it translates as nothing in English.

Nada can also be used in negative questions and means not anything.

For example:

¿No tienes nada que decirnos ahora?Don't you have anything to tell us now?

¿No han comido nada en todo el día?Haven't they eaten anything all day?

But if the question is affirmative we use algo instead. For example:

¿Tienes algo para mí?
Do you have anything for me?

See also Pronombre indefinido and Using algo to say something or anything in Spanish.

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Examples and resources

Nada va a cambiar entre nosotros.Nothing is going to change between us.
Nada es para siempre.Nothing is forever.
Miguel no ha comido nada desde esta mañana.Miguel hasn't eaten anything since this morning.
¿No tienes nada que decirnos ahora?Don't you have anything to tell us now?
¿No han comido nada en todo el día?Haven't they eaten anything all day?
No vimos nada desde nuestro asiento.We couldn't see anything from our seats.
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