Negation in German

Negation in German
Negation in German

Negation in German.Negation in German is typically expressed using the word “nicht” (not) or “kein” (no, none). The choice between “nicht” and “kein” depends on what is being negated. Here’s a brief explanation and examples:

  1. “Nicht” is used to negate verbs, adjectives, adverbs, or entire sentences.
    • Example: “Ich bin nicht müde.” (I am not tired.)
    • Example: “Sie läuft nicht schnell.” (She does not run fast.)
  2. “Kein” is used to negate nouns that are preceded by an indefinite article (ein/eine) or have no article. It declines like the indefinite article.
    • Example: “Ich habe kein Geld.” (I have no money.)
    • Example: “Er hat keine Schwester.” (He has no sister.)

Here’s a table with examples of negation in German and their English translations:

German Sentence (Negation) English Translation
Ich bin nicht müde. I am not tired.
Sie hat nicht gelacht. She did not laugh.
Wir gehen nicht ins Kino. We are not going to the cinema.
Er hat kein Auto. He has no car.
Sie trinkt keinen Kaffee. She drinks no coffee.
Es gibt keine Lösung. There is no solution.

In these examples, “nicht” is used to negate verbs and adjectives, while “kein” and its variations (keinen, keine, etc.) are used to negate nouns. The use of “kein” also depends on the gender and number of the noun it is negating.

Exmples

Certainly! Below is a table with examples of negation in German sentences, including both the use of “nicht” (not) and “kein” (no, none), along with their English translations:

German Sentence with Negation English Translation
Ich bin nicht müde. I am not tired.
Sie kommt nicht zur Party. She is not coming to the party.
Er hat kein Geld. He has no money.
Wir haben keine Zeit. We have no time.
Das ist nicht mein Buch. That is not my book.
Sie trinken keinen Kaffee. They drink no coffee.
Er spricht nicht Deutsch. He does not speak German.
Sie hat keine Katzen. She has no cats.

In these examples:

  • “Nicht” is generally used to negate verbs, adjectives, or entire sentences.
  • “Kein” (and its variants: keine, keinen, etc., depending on the gender and number of the noun) is used to negate nouns that would otherwise be preceded by an indefinite article (ein/eine) or have no article.

sentences

Here’s a table featuring sentences that demonstrate the use of negation in German, with their English translations:

German Sentence with Negation English Translation
Ich bin nicht müde. I am not tired.
Sie haben kein Auto. They have no car.
Er liest nicht das Buch. He is not reading the book.
Wir gehen nicht ins Kino. We are not going to the cinema.
Sie hat keine Kinder. She has no children.
Er trinkt nicht gerne Kaffee. He does not like to drink coffee.
Ich habe keine Zeit. I have no time.
Sie spricht nicht Spanisch. She does not speak Spanish.

In these examples:

  • “Nicht” is used to negate verbs or entire sentences.
  • “Kein” (and its variants like “keine”, “keinen”, etc.) is used to negate nouns that would be introduced by an indefinite article (ein/eine) or when there’s no article.

Phrases

Below is a table of phrases that include negation in German, along with their English translations:

German Phrase with Negation English Translation
Nicht jetzt. Not now.
Kein Problem. No problem.
Nicht möglich. Not possible.
Keine Sorge. No worries.
Nicht so schnell. Not so fast.
Kein Eintritt. No entry.
Nicht heute. Not today.
Keine Ausnahmen. No exceptions.

In these examples:

  • “Nicht” is generally used to negate adjectives, adverbs, or to provide a general negation.
  • “Kein” (and its forms) is used to negate nouns, usually in places where an indefinite article (ein/eine) or no article would be used.

 

 

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