ich nicht
/ɪç nɪçt/word by word
The German phrase for "not me" is ich nicht.
ich nicht is used to state that the speaker is not included in a specific group or a particular action.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the first-person singular pronoun ich and the negation particle nicht.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is composed of the first-person singular pronoun and the negation particle.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç nɪçt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the accusative form mich nicht because "me" is an object in English. However, in German, you must use the nominative ich nicht when it acts as the subject of the implied verb.
Did you know?
- The word nicht is historically linked to the idea of a 'creature' or 'being'. It stems from the combination of 'never' and a word for 'being', essentially meaning 'non-being' or 'nothing'.
- While ich nicht is the standard way to say 'not me', German speakers often use the expression nicht ich to emphatically deny an accusation, such as 'It wasn't me'.
- In a playful or childish context, Germans might use ich aber nicht to add a layer of stubbornness or defiance to 'not me'.
Examples in context
- Das war ich nicht.That was not me.Tatoeba #1804326 by Tamy, translation #8212772 by Hybrid
- Ich nicht, und du?Not me. And you?Tatoeba #10067193 by sakslane, translation #10067195 by DJ_Saidez
- Meine Mutter und mein Vater rauchen, ich nicht.My mother and my father smoke, not me.Tatoeba #12004910 by maaster, translation #12208552 by Miktsoanit
- Hast du meinen Kugelschreiber genommen? Nein, ich war's nicht.Did you take my pen? No, it wasn't me.
- Hat jemand die Süßigkeiten gegessen? Nein, ich habe damit nichts zu tun.Did someone eat the candies? No, I have nothing to do with it.
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are deciding who wants to go for a run in the rain.
- LukasWer möchte heute im Regen joggen gehen?Who wants to go jogging in the rain today?
- HannahIch gehe, aber Lukas vielleicht nicht.I'll go, but maybe not Lukas.
- LukasStimmt, ich nicht!That's right, not me!
- HannahDann gehe ich eben alleine.Then I will just go alone.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, nicht) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ich, nicht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
