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Learn how to say either/neither in Spanish
If we want to make a negative sentence in Spanish using "either/neither" (for example: "I don't like dancing either." or "Ana didn't go to the party, neither did María.") we use the negative adverb tampoco, and generally follow one of these formulas:
- Subject + no + [sentence] + tampoco
- Subject + tampoco + [affirmative sentence]
Be careful not to use "no" in sentences using tampoco before the verb. This would be incorrect:
Carolina tampoco no viene a la reunión esta tarde.
When using the double negative no and tampoco, the word tampoco doesn't always have to be placed at the very end of the sentence. You could place it anywhere after the verb, and regardless of the position the meaning of the sentence remains the same.
For example:
Blanca no viene a la reunión esta tarde tampoco. Solo somos tres.Blanca isn't coming to the meeting this afternoon either. There's just three of us.
Tampoco with pronouns
Bear in mind that when a negative sentence using tampoco is also using direct, indirect or reflexive pronouns, those cannot be separated from the conjugated verb, for example:
-No me acuerdo de su nombre. - Yo no me acuerdo tampoco.- I don't remember her name. - I don't remember either.
- No me acuerdo de su nombre. - Yo me no acuerdo tampoco. (incorrect)
- Ella no conoce a Miguel. - Yo no lo conozco tampoco.- She doesn't know Miguel. - I don't know him either.
- Ella no conoce a Miguel. - Yo lo no conozco tampoco. (incorrect)
Tampoco with compound tenses
With compound tenses you cannot place tampoco between haber and a Participio:
This would be incorrect:
Mis amigos han tampoco recibido regalos.
Mis amigos no han tampoco recibido regalos.
See also:
- Using nunca in Spanish negative sentences
- Yo también/yo tampoco/a mí también/a mí tampoco for me too, me neither
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