In Brazilian Portuguese, the adverbNo definition set for adverbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. não(no) is used to make negative statements, such as: Ele não fala português muito bem(He doesn't speak Portuguese really well). In Brazilian Portuguese, this negation adverb is commonly placed before the verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
It is also very common to use more than one não in a sentence, as in: Não, eu não gosto de muito barulho, não(No, I don’t like too much noise, no). Additionally, sentences that contain the word não are free to contain another adverb of negation as well, such as nada(nothing, anything) or jamais(never). The result is a “double negation,” which is very common in Brazilian Portuguese. For example:
Não conheço nada sobre o Roberto.
I don’t know anything about Roberto.
lit. I don’t know nothing about Roberto.
Can you believe that in Brazilian Portuguese you can even construct triple negations? If you want to know more about this and other forms of negation, keep reading this post!
How to use the word ‘não’ in Brazilian Portuguese?
Não(no, not) is probably the most used and well-known word for negation in Brazilian Portuguese. When it functions as an adverb, it is linked to a verb, and it makes the verb’s meaning negative. Take a look at the examples below:
verbnegation
He doesn’t speak English.
Though não most basically comes before the verb, it can be placed in a variety of positions in a sentence. Let’s take a look at some different placements of não.
When to use ‘não’ before the verb?
In general, you’ll use the adverb não before the verb to negate it:
negationverb
Eu não gosto de tomar sol.
It is very common in written and spoken Brazilian Portuguese to omit the subject pronounNo definition set for subject pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in any type of sentence, including negative sentences. Often, the verb itself indicates who or what is doing the action, so there is no need to mention the subject pronoun.
For example, in the sentence above, it is possible to say, Não gosto de tomar sol, because the form of the verb, gosto(I like), is only used with the “I” subject pronoun.
Check out our post on subject pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
Here are two more common expressions for expressing negation that use não:
não… mais(no more, no longer, not anymore)
You can use não + verb + mais(no more, no longer, not anymore) to talk about things somebody stopped doing, doesn't do anymore, or will stop doing in the future:
negationverb
Meus pais não bebem mais refrigerante.
My parents no longer drink soda.
As you can notice in the example above, a verb is often placed in between não…mais. However, when não mais is used as a short answer, it can be placed together. In this case, it appears without the verb in between, as in:
Speaker A:Você ainda viaja a trabalho?c
Do you still travel for work?
também não(neither / nor)
Também não(neither, nor) can be used to agree with a negative question.
Speaker A:Eu não como doces, e você?
I don’t eat candy, do you?
Speaker B:I don’t eat candy either.
You can either use também não in a complete sentence (as above), or alone, as a short answer to the question:
Speaker A:Eu não como doces, e você?
I don’t eat candy, do you?
Notice that the full answer, Eu também não como doces(I don't eat candy either), is implied by the short statement também não(me neither).
Although pois não contains the word não in its structure, it doesn’t carry a negative meaning. On the contrary, it can mean the same as saying, “Yes, of course.” In other words, it is a polite way to say “yes,” and it is a common expression in service situations.
Speaker A:Por favor, você poderia abrir a janela pra mim?
Could you please open the window for me?
Speaker B:Pois não, faço isso já já.
Yes, of course, I will do that shortly.
When to use ‘não’ after the verb?
It is also possible to place não after the verb, but this only occurs in more informal everyday speech and in very short replies, as in the example below:
verbnegation
Speaker A:Você viu esse novo filme no cinema?
Have you seen this new movie in the cinema?
Speaker B:I haven't. Let’s go tomorrow?
In longer sentences, however, não must be placed before the verb:
verbnegation
Speaker A:Você viu esse novo filme no cinema?
Have you seen this new movie in the cinema?
Speaker B: Não o vi ainda. Vamos amanhã?
I haven't seen it yet. Shall we go tomorrow?
In the dialogue above, the phrase esse novo filme(this new movie), which is a direct objectNo definition set for direct objectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., became o(it) in the answer. This o is a direct object pronounNo definition set for direct object pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. In a negative sentence that uses a word like não, direct and indirect object pronounsNo definition set for indirect object pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. are placed between the adverb of negation and the verb. So:
negative adverbdirect object pronounverb
✅ Não o vi ainda
❌ Não vi -o ainda
However, in everyday language, Brazilians often omit this direct pronoun, especially if it is clear from the context:
negative adverbverb
Speaker A:Você viu esse novo filme no cinema?
Have you seen this new movie in the cinema?
Speaker B:Não vi ainda. Vamos amanhã?
I haven't seen (it) yet. Shall we go tomorrow?
Read our post on direct and indirect object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese if you are curious to know more about these pronouns!
When to use an additional ‘não’ at the end of the sentence?
In addition to placing não before the verb, it is also possible to add another não at the end of the sentence to reinforce the meaning of negation:
negationverb
Marcelo não conhece a Paula não.
Marcelo really doesn’t know Paula.
lit. Marcelo doesn’t know Paula, no.
The second não is often used in short sentences — it needs to be close to the first não to make sense. When forming a long sentence, you should not use an additional não at the end.
Marcelo não conhece a Paula porque ela é nova aqui.
Marcelo doesn’t know Paula because she is new here.
When to use ‘não’ three times in a negative sentence?
It is also possible to use one não three times in a negative sentence: once at the beginning, again before the verb, and finally at the end:
negationverb
Não, não vai chover amanhã não.
No, it will definitely not rain tomorrow.
lit. No, it will not rain tomorrow, no.
This type of construction is very common in spoken everyday language, and it is also used to reinforce the negation. In the case of the sentence above, the use of the two extra não shows that the person who is speaking is certain about the fact that it is not going to rain tomorrow.
So far, we have seen a number of different ways to use the word não in a negative sentence. However, it is also possible to use a different negation word in place of não in some specific contexts. Let’s review below!
What are some other adverbs of negation in Brazilian Portuguese?
Não is the most common adverb of negation in Brazilian Portuguese, as we use it to make general negative statements, but when you want to provide a more specific negative meaning to your sentence there are other negative adverbs you can use instead, such as nunca(never), jamais(never, ever), tampouco(neither, either) or nem(neither, nor). Let’s look more closely at how to use these words.
How to use the negation words ‘nunca’ and ‘jamais’
You can use nunca(never) or jamais(never, ever) before the verb to indicate that something has never happened, never happens, will never happen, or would never happen.
negative adverbverb
Nunca falei com a Maria antes.
I have never talked to Maria before.
Nunca gosto de tomar sol.
Jamais jogaremos nesse estádio.
We will never play in this stadium.
Jamais jogaríamos nesse estádio.
We would never play in this stadium.
You can also use the negative phrase nunca mais(nevermore, never again) to refer to a situation that did not, does not, will not, or would not happen again.
negative adverbverb
Nunca mais tive notícias do João.
I never heard from João again.
How to use the negation words ‘tampouco’ and ‘nem’
Tampouco and nem are other adverbs of negation that can be used to mean “not even.” These also come before the verb.
negative adverbverb
Os torcedores nem reconheceram o jogador.
The fans didn’t even recognize the player.
To emphasize the negation even more, you can use the phrase nem sequer(not even) in the same context as above.
negative adverbverb
Os torcedores nem sequer reconheceram o jogador.
The fans did not even recognize the player.
However, the combination ❌ tampouco sequer is not used.
How to form double negation in Brazilian Portuguese?
Double negation is formed using two negation words around the verb, using the structure below:
Unlike in English, where two negatives make a positive (as in the title of the P!nk song “Never gonna not dance again”), in Brazilian Portuguese, double negation is used to emphasize or intensify the negative meaning.
English:negation
Never gonna not dance again
Understood: I will dance again.
Brazilian Portuguese:negation
Não dançarei nunca mais novamente.
I will never dance again.
In Brazilian Portuguese, double negation usually occurs in two cases:
não + verb + negative adverb
não + verb + negative indefinite word, like nenhum(none)
Below, we will talk about each of these cases.
How to use double negation with ‘não’ and another negative adverb?
A negative statement with não can be intensified through the use of another negative adverb placed after the verb. In this case, sometimes both adverbs of negation are necessary to give a negative sense to the statement. Let’s see some examples with the other negation adverbs we’ve already seen:
Não + nunca / nunca mais / jamais
Use não with nunca(never) to strengthen the meaning of the negation.
negationverb
Não voltaremos nunca para esse restaurante.
We will never return to this restaurant.
lit. We won’t never return to this restaurant.
You can use nunca mais( never more, never again) or jamais(never, ever) as the second part of the double negative to provide an even more assertive statement.
negationverb
Não voltaremos nunca mais/ jamais para esse restaurante.
We will never return to this restaurant again.
Remember, as we saw above, you do not need to use both negative adverbs in a negative sentence. It is possible to use não, jamais, etc. alone, as we have seen earlier in this post. For example:
Não voltaremos para este restaurante.
We won’t return to this restaurant.
Jamais voltaremos para este restaurante.
We will never return to this restaurant.
However, when using both não + another adverb of negation, such as jamais, you reinforce the negative statement by making it stronger and more emphatic.
Não / nem + nem / tampouco
The words nem and tampouco(neither, nor/neither) can also be used to connect two independent clausesNo definition set for independent clausesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., emphasizing the negative meaning in common between them. Nem / tampouco can be part of two different structures:
não… nem/tampouco…(not... nor...)
negationverb
Ele não veio aqui e nem me ligou.
He didn’t come here, nor did he call me.
nem… nem/tampouco…(neither... nor...)
negationverb
Ele nem veio aqui e tampouco me ligou.
He neither came here nor called me.
These two structures can be used interchangeably. However, não… nem…(not... nor...) is more common in everyday language.
How to use double negation with ‘não’ and a negative indefinite pronoun or adjective?
Double negation can also occur when nãois used with a negative indefinite pronounNo definition set for indefinite pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or negative indefinite adjectiveNo definition set for indefinite adjectiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
In an affirmative sentence, we use indefinite pronouns like algum/alguma(something) or alguém(somebody) or indefinite adjectives, like algum/alguma(some) + noun. But when a sentence is negative in Brazilian Portuguese, these indefinite pronouns/adjectives must become negative, as well.
algum/alguma(some) + noun
| nenhum/nenhuma(no) + noun
|
For example:
negation
Não conheço ninguém aqui.
I don’t know anybody here.
lit. I don’t know nobody here.
If the negative indefinite word precedes the verb, there is no need to use the adverb não to reinforce the idea of negation.
Double negation is not possible or necessary in the passive voiceNo definition set for passive voiceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. For example:
negationactive verbpassive verb
Carlos não causou nenhum problema.
Carlos didn’t cause any problems.
Nenhum problema foi causado pelo Carlos.
No problem was caused by Carlos.
Check out our post about how to form the passive voice in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
What are some other forms of double negation using ‘não’?
There are some additional adverbial phrases that can also be used in combinations with não. All of them can be used interchangeably and translated into “no way” or “not at all.” For example:
negationverb
Não faria isso de forma alguma.
I wouldn't do that at all.
Here are some more phrases like these:
If any of the adverbial phrases mentioned above are placed before the verb, there is no need to use não.
negationverb
De forma alguma faria isso.
Can you form a double negation without ‘não’?
It is possible to form a double negation without the word não, though this is less common. To do this, use an adverb of negation before the verb and an indefinite pronoun or adjective after the verb.
negationverb
Ele nunca disse nada sobre isso.
He never said anything about that.
lit. He never said nothing about that.
Although you could use não before the verb, the adverb nunca(never) is more specific, providing a timeline. Compare:
negationverb
Ele não disse nada sobre isso.
He hasn’t said anything about that.
When to use triple negation in Brazilian Portuguese?
In addition to the double negation mentioned above, Brazilian Portuguese also allows for the construction of a triple negation in the same sentence in order to emphasize the negation even further.
Emanuel não vai comprar nada, não.
Emanuel, for sure, won’t buy anything.
lit. Emanuel will not buy nothing, no.
I really didn't see anybody.
lit. I didn't see nobody, no.
This can follow two main structures: não + negative indefinite word + não (as in the examples above), or não + adverb of negation + não.
This type of sentence is commonly used in everyday spoken language to emphasize the negation.
Summary
In this post, we saw how to construct negative statements in Brazilian Portuguese. We saw that the most common word used in this case is não(no, not), which is commonly placed before the verb. We also saw different circumstances where não is also placed after the verb or at the end or beginning of a sentence.
In addition to the common use of não, sometimes a “double negation” can be formed, particularly in everyday spoken language. To do this, there are several formats one can follow:
não + another adverb of negation, such as nunca(never)
não + negative indefinite pronoun or adjective, such as nada(nothing), nenhum(none, no), or ninguém(nobody, anybody)
não + adverbial phrases of negation, such as de forma alguma(no way)
This double negation is very often used in both spoken and written Brazilian Portuguese to reinforce the idea of negation presented in the sentence.
Lastly, we discussed the use of triple negation, which is mostly used in everyday spoken language, and follows the structure: não + negative word + não.
Now that you’re an expert, practice negation in Brazilian Portuguese with an activity!
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