Ningún, algún, ninguno and alguno
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Ningún, algún, ninguno and alguno
Algún / alguno (some, any, a, one) is the opposite of ningún / ninguno (no, none).
—¿Hay algún médico en la sala? —No, no hay ningún médico.
‑Is there a doctor in the room? ‑No, there is no doctor.
- We use algún and ningún immediately before a singular masculine noun.
¿Tienen algún bocadillo vegetariano?
Do you have any kind of vegetarian sandwich?
Ningún amigo me llama.
Not a single friend is calling me.
- We use alguno and ninguno to refer back to a masculine noun and avoid repeating it.
—¿Has visto un plato que te guste en el menú? —Sí, he visto alguno.
‑Have you seen a dish on the menu which you like? ‑Yes, I've seen one.
—¿Cuántos chupitos has bebido? —No he bebido ninguno.
‑How many shots have you drunk? ‑I haven't drunk any.
Note: ningún/ninguno can be used at the start of the sentence. However, if used later, it must be preceded by no (not). This may sound like a double negative to English ears, but it is essential in Spanish.
Ningún gato se ha bañado en la piscina.
Not a single cat has swum in the pool.
No se ha bañado ningún gato en la piscina.
Not a single cat has swum in the pool (both sentences have the same meaning).
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