no/ni using negatives
someone please explain how and when and where in a sentence these negatives are used 
ni no
4 Answers
Example: No tengo ni idea.
No quiero oro ni quiero plata.
I don't want gold nor silver.
You may find the following helpful:
The Spanish word "ni" can be a little confusing because it can be translated as "nor, no, neither, either, or or" depending on the construction used. Some examples will clarify this:
(a) ni in the phrase "ni siquiera – not even" creates an emphasis or reinforcement. Often, the siquiera is omitted.
“No sé su nombre” (no emphasis) / “I don’t know his name”
“Ni siquiera sé su nombre” (emphasis / “I don’t even know his name”
“¿Cuántos euros tienes, hijo?” / “How many euro do you have, son?”
“Ni (siquiera) uno” / “Not (even) one”
Ni before a noun creates a emphatic denial:
“No tengo idea” (no emphasis) / “I don’t have an idea”
“No tengo ni idea” (emphasis) / “I have no idea whatsoever”
(b) ni meaning or:
“No fumo ni bebo” / “I don’t smoke or drink”
“Él no tiene abrigo ni guantes” / “He doesn’t have a coat or gloves”
(c) no...ni meaning or...either (which may also be translated as neither...nor in English):
“No es guapo ni feo” / “He is not handsome or ugly either” or
“No es guapo ni feo" / “He is neither handsome nor ugly”
(d) "ni...ni" meaning "neither...nor"
“Estas botas de trabajo ni son fuertes ni cómodas” “These work boots are neither strong nor comfortable” (emphatic)
Referring to (d), this sentence could also be rendered in Spanish with no...ni:
“Estas botas de trabajo no son fuertes ni cómodas” “These work boots are not strong or comfortable (either)” (statement) “These work boots are neither strong nor comfortable” (more emphatic)
When the subjects appear before the verb, ni...ni is obligatory.
“Ni Pepe ni su esposa saben la verdad” (subjects before the verb)
“No saben la verdad ni Pepe ni su esposa” (subjects after the verb)
“Neither Pepe nor his wife knows the truth” (English singular verb)
In the example above with ni...ni, the Spanish verb is usually plural because ni functions grammatically similar to y (and). On occasions, the subjects function as distinct units, and the verb may be singular. For example:
“No me interesa ni el fútbol ni el tenis” (to be interesting to – interesar)
“Neither football nor tennis is interesting to me”
(Football and tennis are not acting together as subjects for the verb interesar.)
Cheers
Not even close - ni siquiera cerca
No tengo ni (una) idea - I don't have not even an idea
