nicht
/nɪçt/
The German word for 'not' is nicht.
nicht is a word used to make a sentence or a part of a sentence negative. To negate an adjective or an adverb, place nicht directly before it.
Which one should you use?
In these cases, kein translates to 'no', 'not a' or 'not any'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When negating a whole sentence, nicht typically follows the conjugated verb or the direct object. Note that when using kein to negate a noun, you must adjust the ending of kein to match the gender and number of the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɪçt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use nicht to negate nouns, such as saying 'Ich habe nicht Buch'. Instead, you must use kein for nouns, as in 'Ich habe kein Buch'.
Did you know?
- The word nicht actually shares a historical root with the English word 'wight', meaning a living creature or being. It essentially comes from a phrase meaning 'no being'.
- In German, the placement of nicht acts like a spotlight. Moving it around the sentence tells the listener exactly which specific part of the statement you are denying.
- Standard modern German avoids using double negatives, even though many German dialects and historical forms of the language used them frequently for emphasis.
Examples in context
- Er ist nicht da.He's not in.This sentence shows how to say someone is not present.Tatoeba #1308983 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1300772 by CK
- So ist es nicht.That's not how.This sentence shows how to say something is not a certain way.Tatoeba #6625585 by Felixjp, translation #2256896 by CK
- Es ist nicht da.It's not there.This sentence shows how to say something is not in a specific location.Tatoeba #6626108 by Felixjp, translation #3733394 by CK
- Ich mag das Buch nichtI don't like the book
- Ich bin nicht frohI'm not happy
- Ich habe kein BuchI don't have a book
- Sie trinkt keinen KaffeeShe doesn't drink coffee
- Ich werde niemals aufgebenI will never give up
- Wir treffen uns niemals dortWe never meet there
- Es gibt nichts zu essenThere is nothing to eat
- Ich verstehe nichtsI don't understand anything
- Ich habe gar keine ZeitI don't have any time at all
- Das ist gar nicht witzigThat's not funny at all
- Ich habe keinen Bock auf KinoI'm not in the mood for the cinema
- Ich habe keinen Bock auf ArbeitI'm not in the mood for work
- Das ist nicht schönThat is not beautiful
- Er fährt nicht schnellHe doesn't drive fast
- Ich gehe heute nicht ins KinoI'm not going to the cinema today
- Er isst nicht gern FleischHe doesn't like to eat meat
- Ich trinke keinen WeinI don't drink wine
- Sie hat keine KatzenShe doesn't have cats
- 16312 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are discussing a movie they just watched.
- JulianDas war nicht besonders gut.That was not very good.
- JuliaWirklich? Ich fand es toll!Really? I thought it was great!
- JulianIch kann das nicht verstehen.I cannot understand that.
- JuliaJeder hat einen anderen Geschmack.Everyone has different taste.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nicht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nicht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
