In Spanish we use phrases like ‘yo también’ / ‘yo tampoco’ all the time, but it can be hard for learners to figure out when and how to use them. So, let’s learn an easy trick and start speaking like a native:
También and tampoco are both adverbs and we use them to agree with someone’s statement. However, we cannot use them interchangebly; we use each adverb in a specific context.
We use ‘también’ when we want to agree with an affirmative or positive statement:
- – Me gustan los gatos y los perros . – I like both cats and dogs.
- – A mí también. – Me too.
- – Quiero tomar un helado. I want to have some ice cream.
- – Yo también. Me too.
We use ‘tampoco’ when we want to agree with a negative statement:
- – No me gustan las serpientes. – I don’t like snakes.
- – A mí tampoco. – Me either.
- – No quiero tomar cerveza. I don’t want a beer.
- – Yo tampoco. Me neither.