Negation mit 'nicht' und 'kein'
A1 German grammar — Restaurant. Use 'nicht' to negate a verb, adjective or whole sentence. Use 'kein' (declined) to negate a noun with an indefinite art…
Rule explained
Use 'nicht' to negate a verb, adjective or whole sentence. Use 'kein' (declined) to negate a noun with an indefinite article or no article.
Examples
Use these mini-pairs as templates:
- Ich komme nicht. — I am not coming.
- Das Buch ist nicht teuer. — The book is not expensive.
- Ich habe kein Auto. — I don't have a car.
- Sie isst keinen Fisch. — She doesn't eat fish.
- Wir haben keine Zeit. — We have no time.
Common mistakes
Watch out for these learner errors:
- Don't use 'nicht ein' — always 'kein'.
- 'kein' declines like 'ein' (keinen, keine, kein, keine).