not
Negates a verb, adjective, adverb, or the whole statement.
Ich weiß es nicht.
I don't know it.
Das ist nicht gut.
That is not good.
#6 · Particle · PART
In German, nicht means “not”. It’s the #6 most frequently used German word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
The main negation word, "not". It negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and whole sentences. The key skill is placement — nicht usually comes late in the clause — and knowing when to use nicht versus kein (which negates nouns).
neutralNegates a verb, adjective, adverb, or the whole statement.
I don't know it.
That is not good.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken German. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
Sentence negation → nicht goes to the END
When you negate the whole clause, nicht comes at the end (after objects, before a verb at the end).
Ich kenne den Mann nicht.
I don't know the man.
nicht + the word it negates
To negate a specific element, nicht goes directly before it (an adjective, adverb, or phrase).
Das Auto ist nicht rot.
The car is not red.
nicht before a sentence-final verb
In the Perfekt, futures, or modal clauses, nicht sits just before the participle/infinitive at the end.
Ich habe das nicht gesehen.
I didn't see that.
vs. kein
Use kein to negate a noun with no article or an indefinite article; use nicht for everything else (verbs, adjectives, definite nouns).
Ich habe kein Auto. / Ich mag das Auto nicht.
I have no car. / I don't like the car.
vs. nichts
nicht = "not"; nichts = "nothing" (a pronoun). Different words.
Ich sehe nichts. / Ich sehe ihn nicht.
I see nothing. / I don't see him.
Ich verstehe dich nicht.
I don't understand you.
nicht - sentence negation — nicht at the end
Er kommt heute nicht.
He isn't coming today.
nicht - negates the whole clause
Das ist nicht mein Problem.
That is not my problem.
nicht - negates the phrase "mein Problem"
| nichts | nothing | related pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| nie | never | related adverb |
| kein | not a / no | noun negation |
Rule of thumb: negate a NOUN with kein, negate everything else with nicht — and nicht drifts to the END of the clause.