La regla principal
Negación en Present Simple: sujeto + don't o doesn't + forma base del verbo. Doesn't va con he, she, it y con una sola persona o cosa; don't, con todos los demás. Después de doesn't el verbo no lleva -s: she doesn't work.
Formas de la negación
| Sujeto | Afirmación | Negación | Forma completa |
|---|---|---|---|
| I, you, we, they | We work here. | We don't work here. | We do not work here. |
| he, she, it | She works here. | She doesn't work here. | She does not work here. |
| varias personas o cosas: my parents, the shops | The shops open at nine. | The shops don't open at nine. | The shops do not open at nine. |
| una persona o cosa: my brother, the bus | The bus stops here. | The bus doesn't stop here. | The bus does not stop here. |
En español basta con poner «no» delante del verbo: «No me gusta el café», «Ella no trabaja aquí». En inglés no se dice «I no like coffee» ni «She no works here»: hace falta el auxiliar do o does con not, y la -s de she works pasa a does: she doesn't work. Además, el sujeto es obligatorio: «No trabaja los domingos» es He doesn't work on Sundays, nunca «Doesn't work on Sundays».
Ejemplos
- I don't eat meat. No como carne.
- My parents don't live in Madrid. Mis padres no viven en Madrid.
- He doesn't speak French. No habla francés.
- We don't have a garden. No tenemos jardín.
- The shop doesn't open on Sundays. La tienda no abre los domingos.
- My sister doesn't like coffee. A mi hermana no le gusta el café.
- You don't need a passport. No necesitas pasaporte.
- It doesn't snow here in winter. Aquí no nieva en invierno.
¿Don't o doesn't?
Solo depende del sujeto. Si el sujeto se puede cambiar por he, she o it (Anna, my brother, the dog, this bus), usa doesn't. Si se cambia por I, you, we o they (Anna and Tom, my parents, the children), usa don't. El verbo que va detrás es el mismo en los dos casos: work, have, go, siempre sin -s.
¿Isn't o doesn't?
Not después de am, is o are niega el verbo to be: I'm not tired, she isn't a doctor. Don't y doesn't se usan cuando la oración tiene otro verbo: I don't like tea, she doesn't work. Por eso «She isn't work» y «I don't tired» son incorrectas: o be + not, o do + not.
Doesn't have, no doesn't has
En afirmativa he, she e it llevan has, pero en negativa solo doesn't have: He has a bike, but he doesn't have a car. Lo mismo con does → doesn't do y goes → doesn't go.
Errores típicos
I no like coffee.I don't like coffee. En inglés no se niega solo con no: hace falta do.She no works here.She doesn't work here. Con he, she, it se usa doesn't, y el verbo pierde la -s.Doesn't work on Sundays.He doesn't work on Sundays. El sujeto no se omite.He doesn't works on Fridays.He doesn't work on Fridays. Después de doesn't, el verbo va sin -s.My brother doesn't has a car.My brother doesn't have a car. Después de doesn't, has pasa a have.My parents doesn't live here.My parents don't live here. My parents equivale a they, por eso don't.I don't have hungry.I'm not hungry. Hambre, frío o sed se dicen con be, no con have.
Preguntas y respuestas
¿Cuándo se usa don't y cuándo doesn't?
Doesn't va con he, she, it y con una sola persona o cosa (my sister, the bus). Don't va con I, you, we, they y con varias personas o cosas (my friends, the shops).
¿Por qué el verbo no lleva -s después de doesn't?
Porque la terminación ya está en does, así que el verbo queda en su forma base: she works → she doesn't work, he has → he doesn't have.
¿Qué diferencia hay entre isn't y doesn't?
Isn't niega to be, cuando detrás viene un adjetivo, un sustantivo o un lugar: he isn't at home. Doesn't niega los demás verbos: he doesn't live here.
¿Cómo se dice «no tengo» en inglés?
Con don't have o doesn't have: I don't have a car, she doesn't have a brother.
¿Se puede decir do not y does not?
Sí, son las formas completas y son correctas. Suenan más formales, así que al hablar o al escribir a amigos se usan más don't y doesn't.