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Negation in German primarily uses two words: nicht (not) and kein (no / not a / not any). Knowing when to use each one — and where to place them in a sentence — is essential for clear communication. This lesson explains both forms of negation with clear rules and plenty of examples.
| Use kein when... | Use nicht when... |
|---|---|
| Negating a noun with an indefinite article (ein/eine) or no article | Negating everything else: verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, proper nouns, nouns with definite articles |
Kein follows the same endings as ein:
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | kein | keine | kein | keine |
| Accusative | keinen | keine | kein | keine |
| Dative | keinem | keiner | keinem | keinen |
Examples:
The position of nicht depends on what you are negating:
Nicht goes as far to the end as possible, but before:
Examples:
Nicht goes directly before the element it negates:
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