Negation in German is done primarily with nicht (not) and kein (no / not any). Knowing which one to use depends on whether there is an article before the noun.
❌ nicht vs kein
| German | English | Notes / Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ich bin nicht krank. | I am not sick. | nicht + adjective/verb |
| Ich habe kein Auto. | I have no car. | kein + noun (no article) |
| Er ist nicht mein Freund. | He is not my friend. | nicht + possessive |
| Das ist kein Problem. | That is no problem. | kein + noun |
| Ich verstehe das nicht. | I don't understand that. | nicht at end |
| Sie hat keine Zeit. | She has no time. | keine (feminine) |
✏️ Übungen (Practice Exercises)
Exercise 1: Try using 3 words from the table above in a sentence! Write them down.
Exercise 2: Cover the English column and test yourself — do you know all the words?
Exercise 3: Take the quiz below to test your knowledge with interactive questions!
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