about "nada"

Question

I am learning about "nada." And I am told there are two general formulas:

(1) no + verb + nada

If nada is placed behind the verb, we need a no in front of the verb. And nada is an object.

(2) nada + verb

If nada is placed before the verb, we don't need a no in the sentence. And nada is a subject.

I have no problem with the first formula, but I want to make sure if nada is a subject in the second formula because the position of a subject or an object in a Spanish sentence is very flexible--a subject could be behind a verb and an object cound be before a verb, and the subject will decide which verb conjugation to use.

Also, are there always two negative ways to answer a question?
For example, if I want to answer "¿Necesito llevar algo a la fiesta?", besides the answer "No. No necesitas llevar nada", can I reply "Nada necesitas llevar" or "Nada necesita llevar"?

Looking forward to seeing the answers. - gringojrf, Oct 26, 2013

Answer 1

(2) nada + verb

If nada is placed before the verb, we don't need a no in the sentence. And nada is a subject.

This assumption is incorrect.

Consider the following two related sentences:

• No tengo nada.

• Nada tengo.

These can be translated to "I have nothing/I don't have anything." In either case, our verb is conjugated in the first person singular, making "I," or rather, the implicit (Spanish) "yo" our subject. In neither case does "nada" act as our subject.

:) - rac1, Oct 26, 2013

Hola, Observer. So, for Formula 2, "nada" could be either a subject or an object--it depends on the context? And there are always two negative ways to answer the question? And the answer to my last question is "Nada necesitas llevar"? - joygogo, Oct 26, 2013

Answer 2

I agree with Observer´s observations here. This particular structure using nada before the verb is rare for everyday conversation; we would expect to see it used more in literature and song writing.

We do, however, have other cases using this structure that are common, ie: No lo haré jamás / Jamás lo haré ,,,,,,, No lo tengo tampoco / Tampoco lo tengo.

Hola, Julian. I hope you can give me the translation of the sentences you made. Do they mean "Never will I do it" and "Neither have I"? (I have learned neither Future Tense nor the word "jamás" yet!) - joygogo, Oct 26, 2013

I will never do it again / Never again will I do it ....... I don´t have it either / Neither do I have it : - ) - 005faa61, Oct 27, 2013

Muchas gracias! - joygogo, Oct 27, 2013

Answer 3

So, for Formula 2, "nada" could be either a subject or an object--it depends on the context?

Actually, the same could be said for formula 1, as well. Consider the following:

Nothing was moving:

• Nada se movía.

• No se movía nada.

In both sentences, the indefinite pronoun "nada" acts as the subject of our sentence. Notice, also, that if our verb is transitive, the word "nada" might act as the verbs object in an active voice; whereas, in the passive voice it will take the role of subject:

Active voice:

• No hice nada -- I didn't do anything.

• Nada hice -- I did nothing.

Passive voice

• No se hizo nada -- Nothing was done.

• Nada se hizo -- Nothing was done.

Since I haven't learned Passive Voice yet, I have questions about the examples you gave me. Is "se" the reflexive pronoun in "Nada se movía, while in "Nada se hizo", is "se" the so-called "passive se"? - joygogo, Oct 26, 2013