Some or Any
To talk about unspecified quantities, use alguno (some, any) and its negative counterpart ninguno (none, no, not any).
Like adjectives, these determiners agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Dropping the "O"
When alguno and ninguno are placed directly before a masculine singular noun, they drop their final -o and gain an accent mark, becoming algún and ningún.
| Do you have any plans for this weekend? | ¿Tienes algún plan para este fin de semana? |
| I do not have any plans. | No tengo ningún plan. |
| There is some mistake in the document. | Hay algún error en el documento. |
Feminine and Plural Forms
When modifying a feminine noun, use the regular forms alguna and ninguna. Nothing is dropped.
| Do you have any doubts? | ¿Tenéis alguna duda? |
| No, we do not have any doubts. | No, no tenemos ninguna duda. |
For multiple things, use the plural forms algunos and algunas.
| We want to find some options. | Queremos encontrar algunas opciones. |
(Note: Plural forms of *ninguno are rarely used, because Spanish treats "none" as singular.)*
Double Negatives
As with nada and nadie, Spanish requires a double negative when using ningún or ninguna after a verb. You must place no before the verb.
| The boss is not looking for any problem. | La jefa no está buscando ningún problema. |
| There is no good option here. | No hay ninguna opción buena aquí. |
Putting It All Together
Pay attention to the gender of your nouns to choose between the regular feminine forms and the shortened masculine forms.
| Do you have any reason or any suggestion for the plan? | ¿Tienes algún motivo o alguna sugerencia para el plan? |
| She does not have any reason or any suggestion. | Ella no tiene ningún motivo ni ninguna sugerencia. |
