Tampoc and Negative Agreement

Catalan tampoc adds a second negative proposition to one already present: “neither,” “not either,” or “also not.” If one person says No bec cafè, another can answer Jo tampoc. If one event did not happen, tampoc tells us that an additional event, person, or constituent belongs on the negative side too.

This makes tampoc the negative counterpart of també, but English does not maintain the distinction with one dedicated pair. English alternates among neither, not...either, and nor, while Catalan organizes the contrast through polarity: també adds to an affirmative proposition; tampoc adds to a negative one.

Decision table

També is positive; tampoc is negative

Start from the polarity of the proposition being added. Use també if both propositions are affirmative and tampoc if the relevant propositions are negative.

The prepositional response A mi tampoc is selected by agradar: literally, the negative preference applies “to me” as well. With an ordinary subject predicate, use Jo tampoc: No hi vaig — Jo tampoc. Copying English me neither as Mi tampoc fails because strong mi requires a preposition.

Before the verb: with or without no

When tampoc appears before the verb, contemporary standard Catalan allows the negative force to be expressed without an additional no: Tampoc vindrà. The concordant pattern tampoc no + verb is equally grammatical and is strongly established in careful writing and in many speakers' usage.

These do not differ in truth conditions. Retaining no makes the negative concord overt; omitting it does not turn tampoc positive. Regional habits, register, rhythm, and emphasis affect the choice.

Clitics follow the same order as with basic negation:

In the concordant version, the chain is tampoc + no + clitics + verb. In the version without no, it is tampoc + clitics + verb. Do not insert tampoc inside the clitic group.

After the verb: no is required

When tampoc follows the verb, the clause needs preverbal no, just like other postverbal negative expressions.

This placement often gives tampoc narrow focus over the final constituent or adds it as an afterthought. Compare:

Context and intonation do much of the work, so the two sentences can overlap. When scope matters, make the alternatives explicit rather than relying on position alone.

Negative agreement and ellipsis

Short replies with tampoc are clauses with predictable material left unspoken. They do not need an equivalent of English do.

English changes the auxiliary in neither have I, neither can he, and neither are we. Catalan does not mirror that machinery in the short response. Tampoc inherits the negative proposition from the preceding discourse.

Be careful when the first statement is affirmative but contains a negative-sounding lexical idea. The grammatical polarity still controls the choice.

The verb odiar has negative meaning, but the clause is grammatically affirmative, so the addition is també, not tampoc.

Coordination: tampoc versus ni

Use tampoc to add a proposition or focused participant to an existing negative context. Use ni...ni to coordinate alternatives inside one negative structure. The ni and ni...ni page treats the coordination in full.

The first compares two people across two propositions; the second coordinates two objects within one proposition. English neither can introduce either kind of structure, which is why a one-to-one translation strategy is unreliable.

An explicit reordered subject can sharpen the additive focus:

Here la Clara is the additional person for whom the embedded fact was unknown. The sentence is possible, but neutral conversation more often uses La Clara tampoc (no) ho sabia. Use the reordered version only when the contrastive focus is clear.

Scope in longer sentences

Tampoc associates with an earlier negative proposition, which may be outside the current clause. Its position does not by itself tell you every omitted detail.

The additive reading is that another relevant day or attempt also fails. Tampoc is inside the embedded clause and associates with demà or the whole proposition, while the matrix no creates a non-assertive frame. If the intended contrast is between speakers, say so explicitly: Jo tampoc no crec que puguem acabar demà.

A natural dialogue

Each use adds a new negative search result. The last clause also contains cap cobrament after the verb, so its negative force is supported by preverbal no.

Regional and register guidance

Tampoc is neutral standard Catalan in Central, Valencian, Balearic, Northwestern, Northern, and Alguerese varieties. Both preverbal Tampoc vindrà and concordant Tampoc no vindrà are accepted; distribution varies among speakers and genres, and careful writing often retains the concordant no. After the verb, keep no: No vindrà tampoc. Avoid treating the Spanish pattern you happen to know as the only possible grammar: Catalan has its own accepted variation in preverbal negative concord.

Short correction task

Supply també, tampoc, or ni...ni.

1. La Mar cuina molt bé i l'Ona _.
2. La Mar no sap nedar i l'Ona _.
3. No tenim sucre farina.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• També adds to an affirmative proposition; tampoc adds to a negative one.
• Before the verb, both Tampoc vindrà and Tampoc no vindrà are standard.
• After the verb, use preverbal no: No vindrà tampoc.
• Short answers choose the pronoun required by the omitted clause: Jo tampoc but A mi tampoc with agradar.
• Use tampoc to add a negative proposition and ni...ni to coordinate negative constituents.