Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): No tengo ningún problema con cambiar la cita, pero dímelo con tiempo. - I have no problem changing the appointment, but tell me in advance.

Because ninguno shortens to ningún before a masculine singular noun. Problema is masculine, so you say ningún problema. The accent on ningún keeps the stress on the last syllable. If the noun were feminine, you would use ninguna (e.g., ninguna objeción). You use the full form when it doesn’t come right before a noun: No tengo ninguno.

But problema ends in -a. Why is it masculine?

Some Spanish nouns ending in -a are masculine because they come from Greek and end in -ma/-ma, -ta/-ma, etc. Common ones are: el problema, el tema, el sistema, el programa, el idioma, el clima, el mapa, el planeta, el esquema, el poema, el drama. You say el problema, so it takes ningún.

Is the double negative No tengo ningún problema correct in Spanish?

Yes. Spanish uses negative concord, so it’s normal (and required) to combine no with ningún/ninguna/ninguno: No tengo ningún problema. You will also hear the shorter, very common No tengo problema or Sin problema, which are also fine; ningún can sound a bit more emphatic or careful.

Why is it singular (ningún problema) and not plural (ningunos problemas)?

With ninguno/ningún, Spanish typically uses the singular to express “no … at all.” So ningún problema = “no problem(s).” The plural forms ningunos/ningunas are rare and used only with inherently plural or paired nouns (e.g., ningunas tijeras), not with problema.

Why con cambiar la cita and not en/para cambiar?

All three can appear, but their feel differs:

No tengo problema en cambiar la cita: very idiomatic for “I have no objection to changing it.”
No tengo problema con cambiar la cita: also common and natural; it frames the issue as “with the act of changing.”
No tengo problemas para cambiar la cita: tends to mean “I don’t have difficulty/obstacles to changing it,” focusing on feasibility rather than willingness.

In Spain, problema en + infinitive and problema con + infinitive are both widely heard.

Should it be cambiar la cita or cambiar de cita?

Here you want cambiar la cita (modify/reschedule that appointment). Cambiar de + noun means “switch to a different one” (e.g., cambiar de trabajo, cambiar de casa). Saying cambiar de cita would suggest swapping to a different appointment, which isn’t what you usually mean when rescheduling.

What does la cita mean here—appointment, date, or quote?

In this context, la cita means an appointment (e.g., with the doctor, at the hairdresser, at the bank). It can also mean a romantic date or a quotation/citation in other contexts, but the verb cambiar plus the rest of the sentence point to “appointment.” If you want to be explicit: la cita médica, la cita en el banco, etc.

How is dímelo formed, and why does it have an accent?

Base verb: decir.
Affirmative tú command: di.
Add pronouns after the verb (affirmatives attach): indirect before direct → me (to me) + lo (it) → dí + me + lo = dímelo.
The accent on dí- keeps the original stress after adding pronouns.

Why dímelo and not dímela if cita is feminine?

Here lo doesn’t refer to la cita; it’s the neuter direct object meaning “that/it” (the idea or fact of wanting to change it). So dímelo ≈ “tell me (that).” If you were referring to a specific feminine thing as the direct object (e.g., la hora “the time”), you’d use dímela: Dímela cuando la sepas.

Can I just say dime con tiempo without lo?

Yes. Dime con tiempo is fine and common. Dímelo con tiempo adds the explicit object “it/that,” often felt as slightly more complete or emphatic (tell me that in good time), but both are idiomatic.

Why is it dime without an accent, but dímelo with an accent?

Adding pronouns can shift where the stress would naturally fall, so Spanish adds a written accent to preserve the original stress.

dime: no accent needed; the stress remains correct without it.
dímelo: needs the accent to keep the stress on dí. Similarly in formal usted: dígame / dígamelo (both with an accent).

Where do pronouns go with commands?

Affirmative commands: attach pronouns to the end of the verb → dímelo, háblame, tráemelo.
Negative commands: pronouns go before the verb → no me lo digas, no me hables, no me lo traigas.

What exactly does con tiempo mean? How is it different from a tiempo?

con tiempo = “with enough advance notice / in good time.” Synonyms: con antelación, con suficiente antelación, de antemano, con tiempo de sobra (plenty of time).
a tiempo = “on time / not late.” Example: Llegó a tiempo (He arrived on time).

Is dímelo too direct? How would I say this formally in Spain?

Use the usted form or a different verb:

… pero dígamelo con tiempo.
… pero avíseme con tiempo.
More formal: … pero comuníquemelo con antelación. Among peers, dímelo/avísame con tiempo is normal in Spain.

Why is there a comma before pero? Can I start a sentence with Pero?

In Spanish, you normally put a comma before pero when it links two independent clauses: …, pero …. You can also start a sentence with Pero in informal style: No tengo ningún problema con cambiar la cita. Pero dímelo con tiempo. Both are acceptable.

Are there natural alternatives to the whole sentence?

Yes, for example:

No tengo problema en cambiar la cita, pero avísame con antelación.
No tengo inconveniente en cambiar la cita; solo te pido que me lo digas con tiempo.
No hay problema con cambiar la cita; eso sí, dímelo con tiempo.