logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
August 2, 2021 by Olga Put Spanish Grammar 0 comments

Tampoco vs Tambien: The Definitive Guide for Spanish Learners

También and tampoco are two little words in Spanish that seem confusingly similar, especially because you use both of them to agree with another person! Luckily, it’s easy to distinguish the situations in which you’ll need también vs tampoco and learn how to use them properly.

In this blog post, you can find a detailed, step-by step explanation of también vs tampoco with many examples. At the end, take the quiz to check your understanding of this new grammar topic.

But wait!

Before we jump into the explanation, let me present you with a little riddle. To get the correct answer, you must understand the difference between también and tampoco:

En naranja tres veces, En manzana también, ninguna estoy en nueces ni tampoco en miel.
The translation is a mystery! (Unless you scroll to the bottom of the page, of course)

Instead, read on to uncover the answer on your own.

También vs. Tampoco

While también and tampoco both express agreement, this occurs in completely different scenarios. Both words function as adverbs, but their function differs in that:

  • También expresses agreement with positive statements.
  • Tampoco expresses agreement with negative statements.

That’s easy to start with, right?

Now, let’s explore también and tampoco in detail to get a better grasp of the differences and usage.

Agreement in Spanish

It’s important to remember that you’ll use también and tampoco to agree with what somebody said before. I’ll explain later how to disagree.

También

también vs tampoco

This adverb translates into “too” or “also” in English. When somebody says an affirmative sentence in Spanish, and you want to agree with it and emphasize the similarity of your situation with the one that the speaker is in, you’ll use también.

Look at these examples:

Ana: Vivo aquí al lado.
María: ¿qué coincidencia! ¡Yo también!

Ana: I live next door.
María: What a coincidence! Me too!

Andrés: Trabajo en una tienda de juguetes.
Pablo: ¡Yo también!

Andrés: I work in a toy store.
Pablo: Me too!

In both situations, Ana and Andrés said affirmative sentences and María and Pablo agreed with them using también.

Tampoco

también vs tampoco

On the other hand, tampoco translates to “neither” or “either.” You’ll use this adverb to agree with a negative statement expressed by another person.

Ana: Yo no vivo aquí.
María: yo tampoco.

Ana: I don’t live here.
María: Me neither. / Neither do I.

Ana says that she does not live here and María agrees with her and says that neither does she.

Andrés: Yo no trabajo en una tienda de ropa.
Pablo: Yo tampoco
.

Andrés: I don’t work in a clothes store.
Pablo: Me neither. / Neither do I.

Pablo reacts to what Andrés says about not working in a clothes store, and confirms that he doesn’t work in one either.

Agreeing with the verb gustar and other similar verbs

You surely remember that Spanish verbs like gustar (to like) use slightly different structure from typical sentence structure of Subject-Verb-Object. 

Need a refresher first? 21 Verbs Like Gustar You Should Start Using in Spanish Conversation 

These verbs also use a different structure for expressing agreement.

Instead of saying yo también, you say a mí también. 

Instead of yo tampoco, say a mí tampoco. 

To form this with any person, substitute the subject pronoun (for example, yo) with a + indirect object pronoun (a mí).

Ana: Me gusta la playa.
María: A mí también.

Ana: I like the beach.
María; Me too.

Andrés: No me gustan los camarones.
Pedro: A mí tampoco.

Andrés: I don’t like shrimps.
Pedro: Neither do I.

Other verbs that work the same way as gustar are:

EnglishSpanish
to bore / get tired ofaburrir
to pleaseagradar
to cheer up / make happyalegrar
to feel like / craveapetecer
to frighten / scareasustar
to be a good idea / suit / be convenientconvenir
to cost / be hardcostar
to amuse / entertaindivertir
to hurt / achedoler
to loveencantar
to be missing / be absentfaltar
to fascinate / captivatefascinar
to favor / encouragefavorecer
to matter / mind / careimportar
to interest / concerninteresar
to bother / annoy / upsetmolestar
to seem / look likeparecer
to sting / bite / itch / choppicar
to worry / be concernedpreocupar
to be left / to stayquedar
to be left over / not be neededsobrar

Me aburre la película. 
A mí tambien.

The movie bores me. 
It bothers me too.

No me interesa lo que dice ella. 
A mí tampoco.

I don’t care what she says. 
Me neither.

No nos favorece este acuerdo. 
A nosotros tampoco.

This agreement does not do us any good. 
Neither to us.

Disagreeing in Spanish

But what happens if somebody says something but you don’t agree?

That’s even easier than también and tampoco. See yourself!

Disagreeing With Affirmative Sentences.

también vs tampoco

Let’s look at how to disagree with an affirmative statement by using the same examples we explored above.

Ana: Vivo aquí al lado.
María: Yo no. Yo vivo en las afueras.

Ana: I live next door.
María: I don’t. I live in the outskirts.

Andrés: Trabajo en una tienda de juguetes.
Pablo: Yo no. Estoy desempleado.

Andrés: I work in a toy store.
Pablo: I don’t. I am unemployed.

You see. It’s easy. You only say yo no when disagreeing with affirmative sentences!

Meanwhile, If the affirmative sentence uses a verb like gustar, you’ll reply: a mí no.

Ana: Me gusta la playa.
María: A mí no.

Ana: I like the beach.
María: I don’t.

Disagreeing With Negative Sentences

también vs tampoco

What happens if the first statement is negative, but you want to emphasize your different stance towards the other person’s statement? 

You say: yo sí or a mí sí.

Ana: Yo no vivo aquí.
María: Yo sí.

Ana: I don’t live here.
María: I do.

Andrés: Yo no trabajo en una tienda de ropa.
Pablo: Yo sí.

Andrés: I don’t work in a clothes store.
Pablo: I do.

Andrés: No me gustan los camarones.
Pedro: A mí sí.

Andrés: I don’t like shrimp.
Pedro: I do.

Review: También vs. Tampoco

This table sums up everything we’ve covered about también vs. tampoco.

También vs. Tampoco Summary Chart

to agree and to disagree chart

Decipher the Riddle 

Remember the riddle with también and tampoco from the beginning?

En naranja tres veces, En manzana también, ninguna estoy en nueces ni tampoco en miel.
In naranja three times, in manzana too, I am neither in nueces, nor in miel.

Keeping the Spanish words intact is essential to guessing the answer correctly!

And the answer is?

Letter A! 

Did you get it before I revealed the answer?

También vs. Tampoco: Multiple Choice Quiz

Quiz CTA

Test how much you’ve learned! 

Answer with también or tampoco—or neither? Fill out the quiz to find out!

1. Me encanta la fiesta. (Agree)

Correct! Wrong!

2. No me gustan las manzanas. (Agree)

Correct! Wrong!

3. Mi tía trabaja mucho. (Agree)

Correct! Wrong!

4. Me gustan los animales. (Disagree)

Correct! Wrong!

5. No me gustan las personas groseras. (Disagree)

Correct! Wrong!

6. Vivo en Guatemala. (Disagree)

Correct! Wrong!

7. No duermo lo suficiente. (Disagree)

Correct! Wrong!

8. Me quedo aquí. (Agree)

Correct! Wrong!

9. Me gustan los aviones. (Agree)

Correct! Wrong!

10. No me fascinan las montañas. (Disagree)

Correct! Wrong!

También vs. Tampoco Quiz
Wow, you've mastered también and tampoco in Spanish! Good job!

You're a pro

You've got a solid understanding of how to use también and tampoco and the quality of your Spanish conversations are exploding through the roof!
You've almost mastered también and tampoco in Spanish. Your consistent practice is leading to better results!

You're almost there

As you keep up your hard work and practice, you're starting to understand better how to use también and tampoco. For more study materials, keep up-to-date with our newest published blog posts at Homeschool Spanish Academy. *YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! You can do it!* Do you prefer learning with videos? Check out our YouTube channel Spanish Academy TV for the best Spanish learning content on the web!
Practice makes perfect! Keep on studying!

Keep on Studying

Your motivation to learn Spanish is an essential ingredient to success! If you're ready to take your Spanish to the next level and master the usage of también and tampoco, then join us for a free Spanish class with one of our friendly, certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. Sign up today!

Practice Spanish With a Native Speaker!

How does it feel? Satisfying, doesn’t it? Learning a new language and new grammar structures can be challenging but it brings innumerable benefits to your brain and greatly improves your cognition and decision making abilities! It’s a double win. You’re not only learning a language but also investing in your intellectual skills!

If you want to master también vs. tampoco, empower yourself to practice with our certified Spanish teachers who provide student-tailored experiences based on your language level. Our 1-on-1 classes are a perfect environment for polishing your skills! 

Sign up for a free class with one of our professional, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala and take your conversational skills to a higher level.

earn school credit spanish classes online for kids
Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!

  • 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
  • Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
  • All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish
  • A Guide to Double Negatives in Spanish
  • Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF
  • Common Irregular Informal Commands in Spanish
  • Dialect vs Accent: Is It a Language, Dialect, or Accent?

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Olga Put
Olga Put
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
I'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and freelance writer with a Master's degree in Humanities from Madrid. I speak Polish, Spanish, and English fluently, and want to get better in Portuguese and German. A lover of literature, and Mexican spicy cuisine, I've lived in Poland, Spain, and Mexico and I'm currently living and teaching in Madeira, Portugal.
Olga Put
Latest posts by Olga Put (see all)
  • All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish - January 8, 2025
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish - December 26, 2024
  • Common Irregular Informal Commands in Spanish - November 29, 2024
spanish grammar tampoco vs tambien
1

Related Posts

Spanish for dummies

Spanish for Dummies [Greetings, Questions, Small Talk, and More]

March 10, 2022
Read More
spanish pronouns

3 Types of Spanish Pronouns to Perfect Your Fluency

May 16, 2021
Read More
you formal in Spanish

How to Say ‘You’ in Formal and Informal Spanish

September 21, 2021
Read More
filler words in Spanish

The Ultimate Guide to Filler Words in Spanish for More Natural Conversations

September 27, 2021
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

20 Hilarious Sayings You Only Hear From Mexican GrandmasPrevious Post
12 Hispanic Authors Who Target Young Adults and TeensNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    April 25, 2025
    Nervous about starting Spanish? Here’s...
  • Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    April 24, 2025
    Music makes Spanish stick. Here are the...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.