Nicht heute
/nɪçt ˈhɔʏ̯tə/word by word
The German phrase for "not today" is Nicht heute.
Did you know?
- The components of nicht actually come from an ancient phrase meaning 'no creature' or 'no being'.
- The concept of 'not today' is often expressed through the word nein followed by a reason, as a blunt Nicht heute can sound unexpectedly harsh in social settings.
- In German, the word nicht can change the meaning of a whole sentence depending on its position, whereas in English 'not' usually stays with the verb.
Examples in context
- Nicht heute.Not today.Tatoeba #8868256 by Dorlota, translation #7801092 by MarijnKp
- „Hättest du Lust auf Kino?“ – „Ach, nein, Tom, nicht heute. Ein anderes Mal!“"Do you fancy going to the cinema?" "Oh, no, Tom, not today. Another time!"Tatoeba #8078325 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #12808458 by sundown
- Morgen, morgen, nur nicht heute, sagen alle faulen Leute.Tomorrow, tomorrow, not today, all the lazy people say.Tatoeba #668093 by sigfrido, translation #13030139 by Adelpa
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian asks Hannah if she wants to go for a walk.
- HannahWollen wir spazieren gehen?Do we want to go for a walk?
- JulianLeider nicht heute, ich bin zu müde.Unfortunately not today, I am too tired.
- HannahDas ist schade. Vielleicht morgen?That's a pity. Maybe tomorrow?
- JulianJa, morgen passt es mir besser.Yes, tomorrow works better for me.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (nicht, heute) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heute, nicht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
