neither...nor

Question

I am working through Learn Spanish 2.11. The writing exercise requires changing sentences to the negative form. The correct answer to one sentence is

**No necesitas tampoco un lápiz ni un bolígrafo.

But when I was reading the reference article on negative and indefinite words, I came across this example

**No quiero ni pizza ni pasta.

"ni...ni" means "neither...nor."

"tampoco" means "neither."

So is "tampoco...ni" also an acceptable way to say "neither...nor?"

Thank you!

Answer 1

you would only use tampoco by itself, as in: No me gusta tampoco= I don't like it either. And when you want to you the neither/nor expression, you would use 'ni...ni."

Answer 2

This is what the dictionary entry for 'neither' says:

adverbio también:

• neither … nor… -> ni… ni…
• neither (the) one nor the other -> ni uno ni otro
• that's neither here nor there -> eso no viene al caso

Thank you. - alice_m, May 26, 2010

Answer 3

I believe you would have to use it the other way around - ni ..... tampoco

As in: ni yo tampoco, nor I (me either lol)

You may also find this article helpful.

http://www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr/ats/17.htm

Thanks for the reference, I've bookmarked it for future reference. - alice_m, May 26, 2010