Direct Translation for Any in Spanish

The English word "any" has no single equivalent in Spanish, and when it is used to mean an uncountable noun or a plural noun, it is usually left out completely. There are a few cases where you can use the word "any" to mean "some," "none" or "whatever," and in those cases, there is a translation for the word.

When Any Can Be Omitted in Translation

In many cases, "any" as an adjective is superfluous in Spanish, adding little independent meaning and can be omitted without much change in how the sentence is understood. Under those circumstances, and especially in questions, the word can usually be left untranslated in the Spanish equivalent. 

Remember, there are times when any can or should be translated. There are a few ways to express the idea of "any" when it can mean "some," "none," "whichever," or "whatever" in a sentence.

When Any Means None

Double negatives are common and acceptable in Spanish. In negative sentences, "any" can often be translated as ninguno, which varies according to number and gender. Note that ninguno is shortened to ningún when it comes before a singular masculine noun. Like "any," ninguno and its variations can function as both adjectives and pronouns.

By using a double negative, in Spanish, it can allow the speaker to be emphatic. As is the case with the example, "I don't feel any pain." The speaker can simple state, No siento dolor. However, when using the double negative and stating, No siento ningún dolor. The speaker is emphasizing a state of being that is extremely pain free. It is similar to an English speaker saying, "I don't feel any pain, not a one."

When Any Means Some

When "any" is used in a sentence and it stands in as a pronoun meaning "some," it can be expressed in two ways as alguno or algunos for the singular and plural masculine pronoun and alguna or algunas for the singular and plural feminine pronoun. An example of this would be, "I have two dogs. Do you have any?" In the second sentence, you can replace the word "any" with alguno. Tengo dos perros ¿Tienes alguno?

When Any Means Whatever or Whichever

When "any" is used to mean that a variety of choices will do, such as "whatever" or "whichever" in English, you can use cualquiera, which is shortened to cualquier when used as an adjective before a masculine or feminine noun.