Phrase · 🙄 Colloquial reactions
¡Qué va! Yo no sé ni freír un huevo.
No way! I can't even fry an egg.
C2denialcolloquiales-CUAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
¡Qué1pronounno way (lit. what)va1verb(goes)ir · present · 3rd sing.!YopronounI1st sing. · subjectno2adverbnotsé3verbknow howsaber · present · 1st sing.ni2conjunctionevenfreír3verbfryinfinitiveundetermineranuno · masc. · sing. · indefinitehuevonouneggmasc. · sing..
- Qué → va: ¡Qué va!: one formula
- no → ni: no … ni: not even
- sé → freír: saber + infinitive: know how
- Yo → sé: yo agrees with sé
Word for word: “What goes! I don't know even to fry an egg.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1¡Qué va! = not at all!, no way!: a strong denial, very common in Cuba and Spain. Unrelated to agreeing ¡Dale que va! Lexicalised imperatives and pragmatic particles →
- 2no … ni + infinitive = not even: no sé ni freír un huevo. Indefinites and double negation →
- 3saber + infinitive = to know how to (a skill); poder would be "to be able". Modal verbs + infinitive: querer, poder, preferir, necesitar, saber →
Variations
- ¡Qué va! Si no sé ni freír un huevo.
- ¡Para nada! Yo no sé ni freír un huevo.
- ¡Qué va, chico! No sé ni freír un huevo.