ich spreche kein Englisch
/ɪç ˈʃpʁɛ.çə kaɪ̯n ˈʔɛŋ.lɪʃ/
The German phrase for "no speak english" is ich spreche kein Englisch.
This phrase is used to inform someone that you do not speak the English language.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the word kein is used to negate the noun Englisch rather than using a particle like nicht.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈʃpʁɛ.çə kaɪ̯n ˈʔɛŋ.lɪʃ/. The stress is on the second of five syllables.
Did you know?
- In Germany, stating ich spreche kein Englisch is often seen as a polite way to signal that a conversation should slow down or switch to a simpler vocabulary.
- Depending on the regional dialect, the ch sound in ich can shift from a soft hiss in the north to a guttural sound in the south.
- The word kein is closely related to the Dutch word geen and the Yiddish keyn.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigung, aber ich spreche kein Englisch.Excuse me, but I do not speak English.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ich spreche kein Englisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries englisch, ich, kein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
