Breakdown of No veo a nadie en ese rincón oscuro.
no
no, not
en
in / on / at
ver
to see / to look / appear
ese
that (masculine)
Questions & Answers about No veo a nadie en ese rincón oscuro.
Why are there two negative words here (no and nadie)? Doesn't a double negative make a positive?
In Spanish, double negatives are required when the negative word (like nadie, meaning "nobody" or "anyone") comes after the verb. Since nadie is after the verb veo, you must put no before the verb: No veo a nadie. English says "I don't see anyone", but Spanish literally says "I do not see nobody."
Why is there an a right before nadie?
This is the "personal a". In Spanish, when the direct object of a verb is a person, you have to put an a in front of it. Even though nadie means "nobody," it still refers to people, so it requires the personal a.
Why is the word for "that" ese instead of eso?
Ese is the masculine singular word for "that" when it comes right before a masculine noun (like rincón). Eso is a neutral word used for general ideas or unknown objects (like saying "What is that?" - ¿Qué es eso?), but it is never placed directly in front of a noun.
Could I use esquina instead of rincón for "corner"?