Ninguém vs. Nenhum in Portuguese: “Nobody” or “Not Any” — Practice

Use ninguém as a pronoun for people

Ninguém means nobody or no one and normally stands on its own: ninguém respondeu. It refers to people and does not change to a feminine form.

Ninguém already carries negative meaning, so Brazilian Portuguese commonly says ninguém chegou without another não before the verb.

Use nenhum or nenhuma with a noun

Nenhum and nenhuma mean no, none, or not any when they refer to a noun. Match the form to that noun: nenhum problema, nenhuma pergunta. Plural forms exist, though the singular is common in many everyday examples.

Nenhum can stand alone when the listener already knows the noun: algum ingresso? nenhum (any tickets? none).

Compare a person with a missing item

Compare não veio ninguém (nobody came) with não chegou nenhum pacote (no package arrived). The first points to people; the second identifies a missing noun.

English ‘not any’ can refer to people or things, which makes nenhum tempting everywhere. Use ninguém when the pronoun itself means no one; use nenhum or nenhuma with the noun you identify.

Remember: Use ninguém for ‘nobody’ and nenhum or nenhuma for ‘no/not any’ with a noun or understood item.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Nobody answered the phone.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ninguém atendeu ao telefone.

2. I don’t know anyone in this city.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não conheço ninguém nesta cidade.

3. I didn’t receive any messages.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não recebi nenhuma mensagem.

4. None of my friends know the place.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Nenhum dos meus amigos conhece o lugar.

5. Was there any seat available? No, none.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tinha algum lugar disponível? Não, nenhum.

6. Was anyone at reception? No, nobody.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tinha alguém na recepção? Não, ninguém.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use ninguém for ‘nobody’ and nenhum or nenhuma for ‘no/not any’ with a noun or understood item.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Ninguém vs. Nenhum in Portuguese: “Nobody” or “Not Any”? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.