ich habe kein Geld
/ɪç ˈhaːbə kaɪ̯n ɡɛlt/word by word
The English phrase "I have no money" is translated into German as ich habe kein Geld.
This phrase is used to state that a person does not possess any financial resources.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, you can say I hob koa Geld, and in Saxony, you can say Isch hob kee Moneten.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb habe is the first-person singular conjugation of haben (to have). When negating a noun like Geld (money), German uses kein instead of the word nicht.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈhaːbə kaɪ̯n ɡɛlt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ich habe nicht Geld. English speakers often mistakenly use nicht to negate a noun, but in German, kein is required to express "no [noun]".
When do people say it?
In colloquial settings, the word Kohle is often used as a slang term for money.
Did you know?
- The word Geld shares its root with the Swedish word gäld, which refers to a debt.
Examples in context
- Ich habe kein Geld in der Tasche.I have no money in my pocket.This sentence is useful for specifying the location of the money using ich habe kein Geld.Tatoeba #644530 by Manfredo, translation #285428 by CK
- Ich habe kein Geld, um das Buch zu kaufen.I have no money to buy the book with.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of funds for a specific purpose using ich habe kein Geld.Tatoeba #1778544 by Vortarulo, translation #254671 by CK
- Ich habe kein Geld, um das Wörterbuch zu kaufen.I have no money to buy the dictionary.Tatoeba #12407935 by mayabe, translation #46938 by CK
- Entschuldigen Sie, ich kann mir das nicht leisten. Ich habe kein Geld.Excuse me, I can't afford it. I have no money.
- Leider kann ich Ihre Einladung nicht annehmen, da ich kein Geld habe.Unfortunately, I can't accept your invitation because I have no money.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing going out to a restaurant.
- LauraWollen wir heute Abend essen gehen?Do you want to go out to eat tonight?
- MaximilianTut mir leid, Laura, ich habe kein Geld.I am sorry, Laura, I have no money.
- LauraDas ist schade, Maximilian.That is a pity, Maximilian.
- MaximilianVielleicht nächsten Monat.Maybe next month.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ich habe kein Geld, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Habe, kein, Geld) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Geld, ich, kein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
