How to Say “Anything” in Spanish: The Complete Guide (Video Lesson, Quiz, and Flashcards)

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By the end of this video and guide, you’ll know exactly how to handle “anything” in Spanish! If you want to practice even more, don’t miss our free flashcards with exercises and examples at the bottom of this page.

1. Cualquier Cosa: Literally “Anything”

Let’s start with the most literal translation. Cualquier directly translates to “any”, while cosa means “thing”. This translation is used when you are emphasizing the ideas of endless options or outcomes. You’ll use it when talking about open-ended possibilities or a lack of restrictions.

Here are some examples:

• I would do anything for that! → Haría cualquier cosa por eso!
• I’m so hungry, I could eat anything. → Tengo tanta hambre, podría comer cualquier cosa.

Each of the above cases emphasizes that the options are unlimited. For another example, in Puedes hacer cualquier cosa que quieras (“You can do anything you want”), there are no restrictions on what can be done.

2. Algo: When “Anything” Really Means “Something”

Here’s where it gets interesting. Sometimes, when we say “anything” in English, we don’t actually mean “anything at all.” Instead, we’re referring to “something” specific. For example:

• Do you want anything from the store? 

“Anything from the store” does not literally mean anything in the world, but rather something available from that specific store. 

• Did you find anything interesting?

Same idea here. It’s not asking if you find anything in the world interesting, but rather something from that place in question, whether it’s a museum, a store, a website, etc.  

In a nutshell, when “anything” means something a bit more specific, you should use algo.

Now let’s see it in action:

• Do you want anything from the store? → ¿Quieres algo de la tienda?
• Did you find anything interesting? → ¿Encontraste algo interesante?

Think of algo as the go-to translation when talking about specific options from a range of possibilities, rather than expressing unlimited choice (like with cualquier cosa).

Bonus: Alguien for “Anyone”

The same principle applies to alguien, which means “someone” but is often translated as “anyone.” For example:

• Did you see anyone there? → ¿Viste a alguien allí?
• Do you want someone to help you? → ¿Quieres que alguien te ayude?

When you’re referring to a specific person, even if you’re not sure who, you’ll use alguien.

3. Nada: “Anything” in Negative Contexts 

Now let’s tackle nada. In English, when we use “anything” in a sentence with negation, it often implies “nothing.” For instance:

• I don’t want anything.
• He didn’t say anything.

In Spanish, you’d use nada, which literally means “nothing,” in these cases. Double negatives are grammatically correct in Spanish, so you’ll often pair no with nada:

• I don’t want anything. → No quiero nada.
• He didn’t say anything. → No dijo nada.

Here are a few more examples:

• We don’t have anything to eat. → No tenemos nada para comer.
• I didn’t see anything. → No vi nada.

Notice the structure: no + conjugated verb + nada. This double-negative lets readers or listeners know early on in the sentence that there will be a negation. 

Bonus: Nadie for “Anyone” in Negative Sentences

The same principle applies to nadie (“nobody”), which is used when “anyone” appears in a negative context:

• I didn’t talk to anyone. → No hablé con nadie.
• She didn’t see anyone. → No vio a nadie.

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How to Say “Anything” in Spanish: A Quick Recap

To summarize, there are three main ways to say “anything”  in Spanish:

1. Cualquier cosa: Use it for broad, unrestricted possibilities.some text
   • You can do anything you want. → Puedes hacer cualquier cosa que quieras.
2. Algo: Use it when “anything” is referring to something more specific.some text
   • Do you want anything from the store? → ¿Quieres algo de la tienda?
3. Nada: Use it in negative sentences where “anything” means “nothing.”some text
   • I don’t want anything. → No quiero nada.
     
     

Recap on how to say “anyone” and “nobody” in Spanish:  

1. Alguien: Use it when you are asking about “someone” or “anyone”some text
   1. Did you see anyone there? → Viste a alguien alli?
2. Nadie: Use it when talking about anyone in a negative sense (referring to nobody). some text
   • I don’t want to see anyone! → No quiero ver a nadie!
     
     

Practice Time!

Let’s test your knowledge with a quick quiz. Fill in the blanks with the correct term — cualquier cosa, algo, nada, alguien or nadie:

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1. You can bring anything to the party.
   → Puedes traer _________ a la fiesta.
   
   
2. Did you buy anything special at the market?
   → ¿Compraste _________ especial en el mercado?
   
   
3. I didn’t hear anything during the meeting.
   → No escuché _________ durante la reunión.
   
   
4. I met someone special.
   → Conocí a  _________ especial.
   
   
5. I didn’t talk to anyone at the event.
   → No hablé con _________ en el evento.
   
   
6. Did you find anyone who can help?
   → Econtraste a  _________ que pueda ayudar?.

Answers:

1. cualquier cosa
2. algo
3. nada
4. alguien
5. nadie  
6. alguien

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Ready to Practice More?

It takes time to make these distinctions second-nature, so we’ve created a free set of flashcards to help you master these translations. With just a few minutes of practice each day, you’ll be using cualquier cosa, algo, and nada like a native Spanish speaker. 

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