I'm Confused with a phrase

Question

If No compro nada nunca means i don't buy anything, does it also mean I don't buy nothing never.

Answer 1

Hello Cupcake and welcome to the Spanish Dict forum

Echoline's answer is correct However I feel the need to explain an important principleto you, here.

You have to be/One has to be... careful when translating between languages eg: Spanish to English, or vica versa, not to translate word for word especially when dealing with expressions that are different in each language. For example, when using double negatives in Spanish:

1.No he visto nada = I have not seen anything

(literally I have not seen nothing) but when speaking correct English you would never say I have not seen nothing. The word nothing gets changed to anything

2 No han comprado nada nunca de esta tienda= They have never brought anything from that shop

The English never use double negatives but in Spanish it is perfectly acceptable to use them

I hope this helps you

:-) - Echoline, Feb 27, 2011

I went to my child's preschool class and I heard her teacher say "you don't need no..." . That drives me crazy, especially coming from an educator. - Beatrice-Codder, Feb 27, 2011

Yes, I am surprised to hear an educator say that I have worked for 14 years as a teaching assistant in a primary school with infants and have thankfully never heard a teacher or assistant or even parent say that - FELIZ77, Feb 28, 2011

not even when I worked for a while in a nursery with toddlers - FELIZ77, Feb 28, 2011

Answer 2

Welcome to the forum. It means, "I don't ever buy anything."

:) - FELIZ77, Feb 27, 2011