Grammar Guides / German / Negation: nicht & kein

🚫 Negation: nicht & kein

How to say "not" and "no" in German — and where to place them

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"nicht" — Negating Verbs, Adjectives & Adverbs

"Nicht" is the German equivalent of "not." Use it to negate verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and specific parts of a sentence. It works similarly to English "not," but its position in the sentence follows specific rules.

What You Negate	Example	Translation
A verb	Ich schlafe nicht.	I am not sleeping.
An adjective	Das ist nicht gut.	That is not good.
An adverb	Er singt nicht laut.	He doesn't sing loudly.
A specific element	Ich komme nicht heute.	I'm not coming today (but maybe another day).

Ich verstehe das nicht.I don't understand that.

Tip: "Nicht" is used when you are NOT negating a noun with an indefinite article. If you see "ein/eine/einen" before the noun, you probably need "kein" instead.

"kein" — Negating Nouns

"Kein" means "not a" or "no" and is used to negate nouns. It replaces the indefinite article "ein." Think of it this way: instead of saying "nicht ein" (which is grammatically wrong), German combines them into "kein." "Kein" declines like "ein" — it takes the same endings for gender and case.

Positive	Negative	Translation
Ich habe einen Hund.	Ich habe keinen Hund.	I don't have a dog.
Das ist ein Problem.	Das ist kein Problem.	That's not a problem.
Sie hat eine Katze.	Sie hat keine Katze.	She doesn't have a cat.
Ich habe Geld.	Ich habe kein Geld.	I have no money.

Tip: "Kein" is also used to negate nouns that have no article at all (like uncountable nouns or plurals without an article): "Ich habe Geld" → "Ich habe kein Geld."

Where Does "nicht" Go?

The position of "nicht" follows a clear hierarchy. It goes: 1. At the end of the sentence when negating the verb as a whole. 2. Before adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases that it negates. 3. Before the second part of the verb (separable prefix, infinitive, or past participle). The most common pattern for beginners: "nicht" goes at the end of simple sentences, or right before the thing you want to negate.

Rule	Example	Translation
End (negate verb)	Ich tanze nicht.	I don't dance.
Before adjective	Das Essen ist nicht teuer.	The food is not expensive.
Before place	Ich gehe nicht nach Hause.	I'm not going home.
Before infinitive	Ich kann nicht schwimmen.	I can't swim.
Before prefix	Ich stehe nicht auf.	I'm not getting up.

Er kommt heute nicht. / Er kommt nicht heute, sondern morgen.He is not coming today. / He is not coming today, but rather tomorrow.

Tip: When "nicht" is at the end, it negates the whole action. When it's before a specific word, it negates just that word. Compare: "Er kommt heute nicht" (He's not coming today at all) vs. "Er kommt nicht heute" (He's not coming today — implying he'll come another day).

nicht vs. kein — Quick Decision Guide

Choosing between "nicht" and "kein" is one of the most common challenges for beginners. Here is a simple rule: • Is there a noun with "ein/eine/einen" (or no article)? → Use "kein" • Everything else (verbs, adjectives, adverbs, names, nouns with "der/die/das") → Use "nicht" Remember: "kein" only replaces indefinite articles (ein) or zero articles. Definite articles (der/die/das) are negated with "nicht."

Sentence	Negation	Why
Das ist ein Buch.	Das ist kein Buch.	Noun with "ein" → kein
Ich trinke Kaffee.	Ich trinke keinen Kaffee.	Noun with no article → kein
Ich mag das Buch.	Ich mag das Buch nicht.	Noun with "das" → nicht
Er schläft.	Er schläft nicht.	Verb only → nicht

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🚫 Negation: nicht & kein

"nicht" — Negating Verbs, Adjectives & Adverbs

"kein" — Negating Nouns

Where Does "nicht" Go?

nicht vs. kein — Quick Decision Guide

Practice with Interactive Quizzes

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