# nunca
## Asturian
### Alternative forms

* ñunca

### Etymology

From Latin numquam (“never”).

### Adverb

nunca
* never
    Synonym: enxamás

## Galician
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese nunca, from Latin numquam (“never”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈnuŋka/ [ˈnũŋ.kɐ]
* Rhymes: -uŋka
* Hyphenation: nun‧ca

### Adverb

nunca
* never
    Synonym: xamais

#### Derived terms

* nunca máis
* nunca na vida
* nunca xamais

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “nunca”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “nunca”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “nunca”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “nunca”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “nunca”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

## Macanese
### Etymology

From Portuguese nunca (“never”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈnuŋkɐ/, /ˈnuŋka/

### Adverb

nunca
* negation particle usually (but not always) used in the past tense; did not, had not, would not
    Antonym: já
    Êle nunca vêm ― He did not come
    Êle já vai maz nunca volta ― He left but did not return
    Iou nunca capaz ― I wouldn't dare
    sâm nunca? ― isn't it?
    nunca nâ ― not yet

#### Usage notes

* Unlike the Portuguese word, nunca in Macanese usually does not mean "never"; nunca-si is used instead.
* sâm nunca is a common casual phrase used by Macanese as a question looking for confirmation at the end of an affirmative statement, similar to English innit. They may also use é-né for the same purpose, with both phrases being a calque of Cantonese 係咪 / 系咪 at different stages of the Creole.

#### See also

* nádi
* nôm

### Particle

nunca
* imperative article expressing negative future tense; don't
    Synonym: nê-bôm
    Nunca assí pensam ― Don't worry

#### Derived terms

* nunca-bôm (“don't (imperative)”)
* nunca-si

### Interjection

nunca
* no
    Antonyms: sim, (dated) sâm
    Sâm diabo? Nunca, sâm tacho-sa!Is it diabo? No, it's a pan!

#### Usage notes

* nôm is not used in Macanese as a negative response to a question. For questions pertaining to the past and present, nunca is used; for questions pertaining to the future, nádi is used.

### References

* https://www.macaneselibrary.org/pub/english/uipatua.htm

## Portuguese
### Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese nunca, from Latin numquam (“never”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈnũ.kɐ/
* Hyphenation: nun‧ca

### Adverb

nunca (not comparable)
* never (at no time; not ever)
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nunca
    Nunca vi esse filme.I have never seen this film.
    Nunca tenha certeza do sucesso.Never be sure of success.
** 2005, J. K. Rowling, translated by Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] (Harry Potter; 6), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 139:Você nunca me deu a impressão de gostar tanto assim da matéria.You never gave me the impression of liking that subject so much.

#### Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:nunca.

#### Derived terms

* antes tarde do que nunca
* mais do que nunca
* nunca mais

#### Descendants

* Kabuverdianu: nunca
* Macanese: nunca

### Noun

nunca m (plural nuncas)
* (poetic) neverness (the quality of not ever being extant or present)

## Spanish
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish nunqua, from Latin numquam, from ne + umquam.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈnunka/ [ˈnũŋ.ka]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -unka
* Syllabification: nun‧ca

### Adverb

nunca
* never
    Synonyms: jamás, en su vida
    Nunca he probado la langosta.I've never tasted lobster.
** 2008, Fausto Ponce, Fuera de lugar, Lulu.com, page 7:Nunca te va a hacer una chingadera.He will never screw you over.
* ever
    Estamos mejor que nunca.We're better than ever.

#### Derived terms

* ciudad que nunca duerme
* de nunca acabar
* más nunca
* más vale tarde que nunca
* nunca digas de este agua no beberé
* nunca digas nunca
* nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena
* nunca jamás
* nunca más
* nunca mucho cuesta poco
* nunca se sabe
* nunca segundas partes fueron buenas

### Further reading

* “nunca”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10