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"Don't know" is a form of "know", a transitive verb which is often translated as "saber". "No" is a form of "no", an interjection which is often translated as "no". Learn more about the difference between "don't know" and "no" below.
know(
no
)
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
transitive verb
a. saber
Do you know when the next bus is leaving?¿Sabes a qué hora sale el próximo autobús?
He knows French, Spanish, and German.Sabe francés, español y alemán.
a. conocer
I know her from school, but we're not really friends.La conozco de la escuela, pero realmente no somos amigos.
a. entender
I don't know how you can treat her like that.No entiendo cómo puedes tratarla así.
a. reconocer
I knew him just by hearing his voice.Lo reconocí tan solo de escuchar su voz.
a. saber
I don't know if you should walk home so late.No sé si deberías caminar sola a tu casa a esta hora.
a. saberse
Do you know the alphabet yet?¿Ya te sabes el abecedario?
He knows a lot about the American Civil War.Se sabe mucho de la guerra civil estadounidense.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
intransitive verb
a. saber
Is today Tuesday? - I don't know.¿Hoy es martes? - No lo sé.
a. saber
Did I leave the keys on the table? - I don't know.¿Dejé las llaves sobre la mesa? - No sé.
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no(
no
)
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
adverb
a. no
Would you like some more soup? - No, I'm full.¿Quieres más sopa? - No, ya estoy satisfecho.
a. no
His new apartment is no larger than the last one.Su nuevo apartamento no es más grande que el último.
I have been dieting for a month, but I am no thinner than I was.Llevo un mes de dieta, pero no he enflaquecido nada.
An interjection is a short utterance that expresses emotion, hesitation, or protest (e.g., Wow!).
interjection
a. no
Kids, it's time to pick up your toys. - No!Niños, ya es hora de recoger sus juguetes. - ¡No!
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. no (used as an adverb in Spanish)
There's no milk left.No queda leche.
b. sin (used as a preposition in Spanish)
She did it all on her own, with no help at all.Lo hizo todo sola, sin ayuda de nadie.
c. ningún
There's no reason to be afraid.No hay ninguna razón por la que tener miedo.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
It says "no parking." You can't leave your car here.Dice "prohibido el estacionamiento"; no puedes dejar aquí el coche.
There's a sign on my son's door that says "no girls allowed."Hay un anuncio en la puerta de mi hijo que dice "no se admiten chicas".
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
If my parents see the house like this, there's no telling what they'll do.Si mis padres ven la casa en tal estado, quién sabe lo que harán.
There's no avoiding the issue any more.Ya no se puede eludir el asunto.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
noun
a. el no
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(M)
When I was a child, "no" was my favorite word.De niña, "no" era mi palabra favorita.
b. el voto en contra
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(M)
(politics)
The bill received 64 noes, and did not pass.La propuesta de ley recibió 64 votos en contra y fue rechazada.
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or group of words (e.g., "UFO" = "unidentified flying object"; "p." = "page").
abbreviation
a. núm.
The active ingredient is in test tube no 5.El principio activo está en el tubo de ensayo núm. 5.
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