📚 Negative Statements
There are different ways to make a negative statement in German, depending on whether you are dealing with an adjective, a verb, or a noun.
🔴 Nicht
Used with adjectives and verbs
Corresponds to English "not"
🟢 Kein
Used with nouns
Corresponds to "no", "not a", "not any"
🔴 Nicht in Detail
Use nicht for adjectives and verbs. It corresponds to the English "not".
Nicht + Adjective
Nicht + Verb
📍 Position of Nicht
The placement of nicht can be confusing. Here are the guidelines:
🟢 Kein in Detail
Use kein for nouns. It corresponds to "no", "not a(n)", "not any" or "do not have"/"haven't got".
📋 Endings for Kein
Kein behaves exactly like the indefinite article (ein, eine, ein). It must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun.
| Nominative | kein Mann | keine Frau | kein Baby | keine Kinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accusative | keinen Mann | keine Frau | kein Baby | keine Kinder |
| Dative | keinem Mann | keiner Frau | keinem Baby | keinen Kindern |
| Genitive | keines Mannes | keiner Frau | keines Babys | keiner Kindern |
Note: The endings are identical with ein – except for the plural, where they follow the endings for possessives like mein.
🔄 Phrases Where Either Can Be Used
⚡ Flexible Negation
With some phrases, you can use either nicht or kein:
- 🔊 Ich spreche nicht / kein Deutsch. I don't speak German.
- 🔊 Er ist nicht / kein Ingenieur. He isn't an engineer.
- 🔊 Ich fahre nicht / kein Auto. I don't drive.
← From Previous
← From Previous
Building on: Reflexive Verbs (e17) - You learned how verbs like sich freuen and sich interessieren work with reflexive pronouns. Now you're expanding your sentence-building skills with negation!
→ Coming Next
Prepare for: Comparison of Adjectives (e19) - Learn how to form comparative and superlative forms, and how to make negative comparisons using nicht so... wie!