Negation (nicht & kein)
German has two main negators. kein negates a noun that has no article or an indefinite article — it means "no / not a / not any" and declines like ein (kein Auto, keine Zeit). nicht negates everything else — verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and nouns with a definite article or possessive — and tends to sit late in the clause. Don't confuse nicht (not) with nichts (nothing).
kein: negating an indefinite noun
Use kein where English would say "no", "not a", or "not any". It replaces ein and takes ein-word endings, so it must agree with the noun's gender, case, and number.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | kein Mann | keine Frau | kein Kind | keine Kinder |
| Accusative | keinen Mann | keine Frau | kein Kind | keine Kinder |
| Dative | keinem Mann | keiner Frau | keinem Kind | keinen Kindern |
Ich habe kein Auto.
I have no car / I don't have a car.
Indefinite noun → kein.
Wir haben keine Zeit.
We have no time.
No article → kein.
nicht: negating everything else
Use nicht to negate a verb, an adjective, an adverb, or a noun that already has a definite article or possessive. nicht is invariable — it never changes form.
Ich kenne den Mann nicht.
I don't know the man.
Definite noun → nicht (not kein).
Das ist nicht mein Auto.
That is not my car.
Possessive → nicht.
Der Film war nicht gut.
The film was not good.
Negating an adjective.
Where does "nicht" go?
For whole-sentence negation, nicht goes as far right as possible — but before a separable prefix, an infinitive, a past participle, or a predicate adjective, and before the element it specifically negates.
Ich arbeite heute nicht.
I'm not working today.
Late in the clause.
Er kann heute nicht kommen.
He can't come today.
nicht before the infinitive kommen.
Ich habe den Film nicht gesehen.
I haven't seen the film.
nicht before the past participle.
Ich fahre nicht nach Berlin, sondern nach Bonn.
I'm not going to Berlin, but to Bonn.
Partial negation → nicht right before the negated part.
nicht vs. nichts
nicht = "not" (negates a verb/adjective). nichts = "nothing / not anything" (a pronoun standing for a thing). They are not interchangeable.
Ich verstehe das nicht.
I don't understand that.
nicht negates the verb.
Ich verstehe nichts.
I understand nothing.
nichts = the object "nothing".
Examples
Sie hat keinen Hund.
She doesn't have a dog.
Indefinite object → keinen (masc. acc.).
Ich mag den Lehrer nicht.
I don't like the teacher.
Definite object → nicht.
Das stimmt nicht.
That's not right.
Heute gibt es nichts zu tun.
There's nothing to do today.
| Question | What to check |
|---|---|
| Meaning | What does the form contribute to the sentence? |
| Agreement | Does it match person, number, gender, case, or tense? |
| Position | Does placement change emphasis or grammatical role? |
Common mistakes
- Using **nicht** with an indefinite noun: **~~Ich habe nicht ein Auto~~** → **Ich habe kein Auto**. No/indefinite article → **kein**.
- Using **kein** with a definite noun: **~~Ich kenne kein den Mann~~** → **Ich kenne den Mann nicht**. Definite article → **nicht**.
- Confusing **nicht** (not) with **nichts** (nothing): *Ich sehe **nichts*** = I see nothing; *Ich sehe ihn **nicht*** = I don't see him.
Lookup tips
- Decision rule: does the noun have **no article or ein/eine**? Use **kein**. Otherwise (definite article, possessive, or you're negating a verb/adjective) use **nicht**.
- For sentence negation, push **nicht** to the end — but keep it **before** infinitives, past participles, separable prefixes, and predicate adjectives.
- To negate just one element (contrast), put **nicht** **directly in front of** that element, usually with **sondern** to state the correction.
Frequently asked questions
kein or nicht — how do I choose?
Look at what you're negating. A noun with **no article or an indefinite article** → **kein** (**kein Geld**, **keine Freunde**). Anything else — verbs, adjectives, adverbs, or nouns with **der/die/das** or a possessive — → **nicht** (**nicht schön**, **nicht mein Buch**).
Why is "nicht" often at the end of the sentence?
When **nicht** negates the whole clause, German places it as far right as the grammar allows. It still comes before non-finite verb parts (infinitive, participle), separable prefixes, and predicate adjectives, because those close the clause: **Ich habe ihn nicht gesehen**.
Can I say "nicht kein" for a double negative?
No. Standard German does not stack negatives to strengthen them. One negator does the job: *Ich habe **kein** Geld**, not **~~nicht kein Geld~~*.