4 ms·

> “Uno no es ninguno” (One is none) Literally "One not is none", aka "One is not none".

jolmg 2y ago
In Spanish, it's common for double negatives to not actually be double negatives. For example, if you wanted to say "there's nothing here", you'd say "no hay nada aquí", which word-for-word means "there's not nothing here". Checking out the Royal Spanish Academy, here's what they say about it: https://www.rae.es/espanol-al-dia/doble-negacion-no-vino-nadie-no-hice-nada-no-tengo-ninguna https://www.rae.es/espanol-al-dia/doble-negacion-no-vino-nad... > The so-called "double negation" is due to the obligatory negative agreement that must be established in Spanish, and other Romance languages, in certain circumstances (see New Grammar, § 48.3d), which results in the joint presence in the statement of the adverb no and other elements that also have a negative meaning. > The concurrence of these two "negations" does not annul the negative meaning of the statement.
- stirfish 2y ago
  I like to think of it as additive negatives, as opposed to multiplicative negatives.
- cassepipe 2y ago
  It's true but I don't think this would apply for such a simple statement as in this case else how would you say "One is not none" in spanish ?
  - dgb23 2y ago
    My guess is you wouldn't use negation.
  - mejutoco 2y ago
    Uno no es ninguno or uno no es cero or uno es diferente de cero all communicate this correctly IMO.
    - cassepipe 2y ago
      But "Uno no es ninguno" is the original phrase that's given for "One is none"
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - mejutoco 2y ago
        I think, while it sounds not idiomatic, it is not affected by double negation, if that makes sense.
- b0afc375b5 2y ago
  I guess this is similar to english: "I ain't no snitch", which is a double negative but is equivalent to its single negative counterpart.
- mejutoco 2y ago
  Same in French: "Je ne sais pas" means I do not know, not I do not not know (aka I know). In any case, the meaning of the sentence above: "uno no es ninguno" in Spanish is clearly one is not zero, or one is not none, or one is different than none. "Uno no es nada" could be "one is nothing", and "one is not nothing". It all depends on the frame of reference (in this case English), but for this sentence, the "one is not none" is correct IMO. I would never even do a second pass on that sentence, as a native Spanish speaker (appeal to authority, I know)

In Spanish, it's common for double negatives to not actually be double negatives. For example, if you wanted to say "there's nothing here", you'd say "no hay nada aquí", which word-for-word means "there's not nothing here". Checking out the Royal Spanish Academy, here's what they say about it: https://www.rae.es/espanol-al-dia/doble-negacion-no-vino-nadie-no-hice-nada-no-tengo-ninguna https://www.rae.es/espanol-al-dia/doble-negacion-no-vino-nad... > The so-called "double negation" is due to the obligatory negative agreement that must be established in Spanish, and other Romance languages, in certain circumstances (see New Grammar, § 48.3d), which results in the joint presence in the statement of the adverb no and other elements that also have a negative meaning. > The concurrence of these two "negations" does not annul the negative meaning of the statement.

stirfish 2y ago
I like to think of it as additive negatives, as opposed to multiplicative negatives.
cassepipe 2y ago
It's true but I don't think this would apply for such a simple statement as in this case else how would you say "One is not none" in spanish ?
- dgb23 2y ago
  My guess is you wouldn't use negation.
- mejutoco 2y ago
  Uno no es ninguno or uno no es cero or uno es diferente de cero all communicate this correctly IMO.
  - cassepipe 2y ago
    But "Uno no es ninguno" is the original phrase that's given for "One is none"
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - mejutoco 2y ago
      I think, while it sounds not idiomatic, it is not affected by double negation, if that makes sense.
b0afc375b5 2y ago
I guess this is similar to english: "I ain't no snitch", which is a double negative but is equivalent to its single negative counterpart.
mejutoco 2y ago
Same in French: "Je ne sais pas" means I do not know, not I do not not know (aka I know). In any case, the meaning of the sentence above: "uno no es ninguno" in Spanish is clearly one is not zero, or one is not none, or one is different than none. "Uno no es nada" could be "one is nothing", and "one is not nothing". It all depends on the frame of reference (in this case English), but for this sentence, the "one is not none" is correct IMO. I would never even do a second pass on that sentence, as a native Spanish speaker (appeal to authority, I know)