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In Spanish, it can sometimes be difficult to answer a question with “me too” or “me neither” knowing how to correctly use the adverbs “también” and “tampoco“.

To avoid making mistakes, it is necessary to understand the meaning of each of these adverbs and their relationship to the positive or negative ideas they convey. This is the course that will help you to avoid making mistakes.

También

“También” is an adverb that can always be translated as “too” or “also“. It is used only in positive sentences.

It conveys an idea of equality or coincidence between people or objects. It can also be used in enumerations.

• Marcos vendió su auto y Julio también = Marcos sold his car and Julio too
• Voy al mercado para comprar tomate, cebolla y también zanahoria = I go to the market to buy tomatoes, onions and also carrots
• Tengo hambre ¿Y tú?… Yo también = I’m hungry, how about you?… Me too
• El viernes iremos a la playa… Nosotros también = Friday we will go to the beach… We too

Tampoco

“Tampoco” is also an adverb. It is usually translated as “neither / either”.

It can be used in many contexts, but always in the context of negative sentences. It also conveys an idea of equality and coincidence, but in the negative sense.

It will also be used in some enumerations, but to convey the absence or lack of certain people.

• Yo no tengo la llave de la casa de Marcelo y tú tampoco = I don’t have the key to Marcelo’s house and neither do you
• En este supermercado, no venden muebles ni tampoco colchones = In this supermarket, they don’t sell furniture and no mattresses either
• Yo no hablo bien inglés ¿Y tú?… Yo tampoco = I don’t speak English well, do you?… I don’t either
• No podré ir a la fiesta de Karen… Nosotros tampoco = I couldn’t go to Karen’s party… Neither could we

Caution! Although “tampoco” is used in the context of negative sentences, the use of “no” to mark negation is not systematic.

Under no circumstances can “no” follow “tampoco” to express a negative idea. Thus, the sentence “Yo tampoco no voy al cine” is false.

In general, if “tampoco” is located before the verb of the sentence, the use of “no” is incorrect.

It is better to use the formulation “Yo tampoco voy al cine” (I don’t go to the cinema either).

On the other hand, if “tampoco” is placed after the verb of the sentence, the use of “no” becomes mandatory before the verb:

• No tengo sed… No tengo sed tampoco = I am not thirsty… I am not thirsty either
• Nosotros no fumamos… Nosotros no fumamos tampoco = We don’t smoke… We don’t smoke either

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Tags: Grammar