There's nothing vs We have no weapons or anything

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

There's nothing

Top 2,000 (common)

We have no weapons or anything

Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: There's nothing
 There's nothingWe have no weapons or anything
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //ðeəz ˈnʌθɪŋ//🇺🇸 //ðɛrz ˈnʌθɪŋ//🇬🇧 //wiː hæv nəʊ ˈwɛpənz ɔːr ˈɛnɪθɪŋ//🇺🇸 //wi hæv noʊ ˈwɛpənz ɔr ˈɛnɪθɪŋ//
MeaningThere is not anything at all.We don't have any weapons or other things.
ExampleThere's nothing in the fridge for dinner.In response to the concern, we said, 'We have no weapons or anything.'
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Collocationsthere's nothing to worry about, there's nothing else, there's nothing we can dohave no weapons, anything else, have nothing
Common mistakesConfused with 'there's no' when specifying absence., Using in questions instead of statements., Misplacing the emphasis, leading to unclear meaning.Omitting 'or anything' can make it sound incomplete., Using 'a weapon' instead of 'weapons' when referring to multiple items., Misplacing 'no' which can change the meaning.
Usage notesUsed to express absence or lack. It can indicate disappointment or emptiness and is appropriate in both spoken and written English.This phrase is commonly used in conversations to express a lack of resources or items. It's appropriate in both formal and informal situations, though less formal contexts typically use it.

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There's nothing
We have no weapons or anything

Frequently asked questions: There's nothing vs We have no weapons or anything

What's the difference between There's nothing and We have no weapons or anything?

There's nothing: There is not anything at all. We have no weapons or anything: We don't have any weapons or other things.

Which is more common: There's nothing and We have no weapons or anything?

There's nothing is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

There's nothing: There's nothing in the fridge for dinner. We have no weapons or anything: In response to the concern, we said, 'We have no weapons or anything.'

Can I use There's nothing and We have no weapons or anything interchangeably?

Not always. There's nothing and We have no weapons or anything are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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