No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche en este edificio.

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Questions & Answers about No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche en este edificio.

Why do we say No hay nadie? Isn’t that a “double negative” with no and nadie?

In Spanish, using what looks like a “double negative” is normal and required in many cases.

  • No hay nadie literally looks like “There is not nobody,” but it just means “There is nobody / There isn’t anyone.”
  • After no, you normally use negative words like nadie (nobody), nada (nothing), nunca (never), etc.

Examples:

  • No veo a nadie. – I don’t see anyone.
  • No quiero nada. – I don’t want anything.

So no + nadie is correct and standard, not a mistake.

Why is it acepte and not acepta?

Acepte is the present subjunctive, and it’s used because of the structure no hay nadie que…

In Spanish, when you talk about someone or something that:

  • does not exist, or
  • is unknown / not specific,

you generally use the subjunctive in the clause that describes them.

Here:

  • No hay nadie → you are saying such a person does not exist (in this building, for that condition).
  • So you say: …que acepte la entrega… (subjunctive) instead of …que acepta… (indicative).

Compare:

  • Hay alguien que acepta la entrega a medianoche.
    There is someone (they exist) who accepts the delivery at midnight. → acepta (indicative)

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche.
    There is no one who accepts the delivery at midnight. → acepte (subjunctive)

In general, when do I use the subjunctive after words like nadie or no hay nadie?

You use the subjunctive when the person or thing you’re describing is:

  1. Nonexistent (you’re saying it does not exist), or
  2. Indefinite / unknown (you don’t know if it exists).

Common patterns:

  • No hay nadie que + subjunctive
    • No hay nadie que pueda ayudarme. – There’s no one who can help me.
  • No conozco a nadie que + subjunctive
    • No conozco a nadie que hable japonés. – I don’t know anyone who speaks Japanese.
  • Busco a alguien que + subjunctive (you don’t know if that person exists)
    • Busco a alguien que cuide a mis hijos en las noches.

But if you talk about a specific, known person, you use the indicative:

  • Conozco a alguien que cuida a tus hijos en las noches. – I know someone (specific) who looks after your children at night.
Could I say No hay nadie que acepta la entrega… with the indicative?

That would sound incorrect to native speakers in this context.

After no hay nadie que…, native speakers strongly expect the subjunctive:

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega…
  • No hay nadie que acepta la entrega…

Using the indicative (acepta) would sound ungrammatical or at least very odd.

Why is it la entrega and not el entrega or just entrega?
  • Entrega is a feminine noun in Spanish → la entrega.
  • You use the definite article la because it’s a specific delivery (the one you’re talking about, not deliveries in general).

Compare:

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche.
    No one accepts the delivery at midnight (a specific delivery).

  • No hay nadie que acepte entregas a medianoche.
    No one accepts deliveries at midnight (deliveries in general → plural, no article).

Saying No hay nadie que acepte entrega a medianoche (singular entrega without any article) sounds incomplete or unnatural in most contexts.

Should there be a direct object pronoun, like No hay nadie que la acepte a medianoche?

You have two options, but you normally don’t use both at the same time:

  1. Keep the noun:

    • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche.
  2. Replace the noun with a pronoun (after it’s clear from context):

    • No hay nadie que la acepte a medianoche.
      (la refers to la entrega.)

Using both in the same sentence:

  • No hay nadie que la acepte la entrega…
    is wrong, because in standard Spanish you don’t duplicate a direct object that way (unlike some indirect-object cases).

In your original sentence, it’s perfectly fine to just say acepte la entrega without a pronoun.

Why is it a medianoche and not en medianoche or a la medianoche?

For time expressions with specific hours, Spanish usually uses a:

  • a las tres – at three o’clock
  • a las ocho de la noche – at eight p.m.

With medianoche, the most common patterns are:

  • a medianoche – very common and idiomatic
  • a la medianoche – also used, a bit more explicit

So you will hear:

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche.
  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a la medianoche.

Using en medianoche is not idiomatic; en is not normally used for clock times like this.

Why en este edificio and not de este edificio?

Because the meaning is “in this building”, not “of this building.”

  • en este edificio → inside this building / in this building

    • No hay nadie en este edificio. – There is no one in this building.
  • de este edificio would mean “of this building,” usually showing possession or origin:

    • Los dueños de este edificio – the owners of this building
    • Los residentes de este edificio – the residents of this building

Here you are talking about people located in the building at delivery time, so en is the correct preposition.

Could I say Nadie acepta la entrega a medianoche en este edificio instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

  • Nadie acepta la entrega a medianoche en este edificio.
    Literally: “Nobody accepts the delivery at midnight in this building.”

Meaning-wise, it’s almost the same as:

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega a medianoche en este edificio.

Differences:

  • Nadie acepta… is a bit more direct and simpler.
  • No hay nadie que… sounds slightly more formal / descriptive, emphasizing the non-existence of such a person.

Both are natural and common.

Why is nadie treated as singular? Could it be plural?

Nadie is always singular grammatically, even though it can refer to more than one person in meaning.

That’s why the verb is in third person singular:

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega.
  • Nadie vino. – Nobody came.
  • Nadie sabe la respuesta. – Nobody knows the answer.

You don’t say:

  • Nadie vienen.
  • Nadie acepten.

If you want a plural subject, you use personas, ellos, etc.:

  • No hay personas que acepten la entrega.
Why is it que and not quien after nadie?

In this structure, que is the normal relative pronoun:

  • No hay nadie que acepte la entrega…

Using quien here would sound unnatural:

  • No hay nadie quien acepte la entrega…

General guideline:

  • When you have an explicit antecedent like nadie, alguien, la persona, el hombre, etc., the default relative pronoun is que:

    • la persona que vive aquí
    • alguien que trabaja conmigo
    • nadie que acepte…
  • Quien/quienes is more common:

    • Without an expressed antecedent:
      • Quien llega tarde, pierde.
    • In more formal or written Spanish with human antecedents, especially after prepositions:
      • Las personas a quienes llamé…

So in your sentence, que is the correct and natural choice.