Using nada/nada de to say not at all

Inma Sánchez
2020-12-09
Add to Notebook6 questions

Nada de can be used with nouns, infinitives or clauses to express the idea of "any of it". Let's see some examples.

Nada de + nouns

No tengo nada de sueño, así que voy a seguir leyendo.I am not sleepy at all, so I'm going to keep reading. [lit: I have no sleepiness]

No me das nada de miedo.I am not afraid of you at all. [lit: you don't give me any fear at all]

¡Te di 100 euros y dices que no tienes nada de dinero!I gave you 100 euros and you're saying you have no money at all!

Nada de + infinitive

Puedes invitar a tus amigos pero nada de beber alcohol.You can invite your friends over but absolutely no drinking alcohol. [alt: no drinking alcohol at all]

¡Nada de gritar!Absolutely no shouting! [alt: no shouting at all!]

Nada + adjectives/adverbs

Ese chico no baila nada mal. Mira, se mueve con mucho ritmo.That guy can dance really well. Look, he moves with a lot of rhythm. [lit: doesn't dance badly at all]

No has llegado nada temprano. Son ya las 12.You haven't come early at all. It's already 12 o'clock.

Las instrucciones no son nada complicadas.The instructions are not at all complicated.

Notice how in these last examples above there is no "de".

Bear in mind, though, that when this is used with the verb tener or haber, then you can add "de". For example:

Esa historia no tiene nada de particular. Es algo que pasa comúnmente.That story is not at all special. It's something that happens all the time.

No había nada de irónico en mis comentarios.There was no irony intended at all in my comments.

See also Using nada to say nothing or not anything

 

Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »

Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

Puedes invitar a tus amigos pero nada de beber alcohol.You can invite your friends over but absolutely no drinking alcohol. [alt: no drinking alcohol at all]
No me das nada de miedo.I am not afraid of you at all. [lit: you don't give me any fear at all]
Esa historia no tiene nada de particular. Es algo que pasa comúnmente.That story is not at all special. It's something that happens all the time.
No había nada de irónico en mis comentarios.There was no irony intended at all in my comments.
No tengo nada de sueño, así que voy a seguir leyendo.I am not sleepy at all, so I'm going to keep reading. [lit: I have no sleepiness]
Las instrucciones no son nada complicadas.The instructions are not at all complicated.
No has llegado nada temprano. Son ya las 12.You haven't come early at all. It's already 12 o'clock.
Ese chico no baila nada mal. Mira, se mueve con mucho ritmo.That guy can dance really well. Look, he moves with a lot of rhythm. [lit: doesn't dance badly at all]
Este chico no baila nada bien. No tiene mucho ritmo.This guy can't dance at all. He doesn't have much sense of rhythm. [lit: doesn't dance well at all]
¡Nada de gritar!Absolutely no shouting! [alt: no shouting at all!]
¡Te di 100 euros y dices que no tienes nada de dinero!I gave you 100 euros and you're saying you have no money at all!
Let me take a look at that...