The use of double, or multiple, negatives in the English language is quite ambiguous. In some cases the first negative is canceled by the second, as in: "I don´t disagree", meaning "I agree". In other cases the double negative is used to intensify the statement, as in: "I didn´t steal no car", meaning "I (absolutely) didn´t steal any car" It´s not that common in standard written English, but it´s common in many American and English dialects. Sometimes you´ll also come across three or more negatives in one sentence: "I didn´t never steal nothing" You can read more about it on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_negative

Hi Hailey, The strict rule about double negatives is only a couple of centuries old. Expose that to other languages where negatives are supported (plus general laziness in some speakers' English), and of course you'll hear logically-inconsistent phrases. Just take them as they come. If someone says, "I didn't ask for nothing" when they mean "I didn't ask for anything", it also signals to me that the speaker is poorly-educated. Some good news: speakers who follow a strict double-negative rule ("I didn't do nothing to her" = "I did something to her") will always do so, and sloppy speakers will at least be consistent in their sloppiness. ;)

The two phrases involve a contradiction of the intended meaning, because of the double negative of a probable American origin. You should word them like this: 1) I didn't ask for anything; 2) I didn't do anything to her.

Well, as everybody has told you, it is not correct. I often hear these expressions in the films, and mainly with (illiterate) people from the deep south of the United States. I also remember reading it in "Cujo" by Stephen King. Have you read/seen it?

Unfortunately where I live, some people speak like that quite frequently. It drives me mad. I do need to correct the translation of your second sentence. Literally, the sentence does mean that whoever is speaking has done something to the other person in question (because of the double negative, etc.), but practically speaking when you hear someone say this, they are defending themselves in that they haven't done anything to the person in question. They actually mean that they haven't done anything to that person, etc. P1: "Man, I just got the cold shoulder from this girl at da club." P2: "Why she trippin?" P1: "I don't know, man. I didn't do nothin' to her!" I don't suggest using those sentences in normal conversation, but it's good to understand what they mean if you hear them.