The difference between “kein” and “nicht” in German

In German, there are two main negative words: “kein” and “nicht”. These two words are often confused by learners of German, but there are some key differences between them.

“Kein” is used before nouns and pronouns. It negates the meaning of the noun or pronoun. For example, “ein Buch” (a book) becomes “kein Buch” (no book).

“Nicht” is used before verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and other words. It negates the meaning of the verb, adjective, adverb, or other word. For example, “lesen” (to read) becomes “nicht lesen” (not to read).

Here are some examples of how “kein” and “nicht” are used:

• Nouns:

  • Kein Buch (no book)
  • Keine Frau (no woman)
  • Kein Mann (no man)
  • Kein Kind (no child)
  • Keine Bücher (no books)
  • Keine Frauen (no women)
  • Keine Männer (no men)
  • Keine Kinder (no children)

• Pronouns:

  • Ich habe keinen Freund. (I don’t have a friend.)
  • Sie hat keine Kinder. (She doesn’t have any children.)
  • Wir haben keine Zeit. (We don’t have any time.)

• Adjectives:

  • Er ist kein guter Schüler. (He is not a good student.)
  • Das ist kein schönes Haus. (That is not a beautiful house.)
  • Die Blumen sind nicht rot. (The flowers are not red.)

• Nicht is used in the following cases:

  Before verbs:

  • Ich lese nicht. (I don’t read.)
  • Du schreibst nicht. (You don’t write.)
  • Er/Sie/Es liest nicht. (He/She/It doesn’t read.)
  • Wir lesen nicht. (We don’t read.)
  • Ihr schreibt nicht. (You don’t write.)
  • Sie/Sie lesen nicht. (They don’t read.)

  Before adverbs:

  • Ich bin nicht müde. (I’m not tired.)
  • Du bist nicht glücklich. (You’re not happy.)
  • Er/Sie/Es ist nicht krank. (He/She/It’s not sick.)
  • Wir sind nicht hungrig. (We’re not hungry.)
  • Ihr seid nicht müde. (You’re not tired.)
  • Sie/Sie sind nicht glücklich. (They’re not happy.)

  Before other words:

  • Das ist nicht meine Tasse. (This is not my cup.)
  • Das ist nicht wahr. (That’s not true.)
  • Das ist nicht möglich. (That’s not possible.)

  Examples:

  • In the sentence “Ich habe keinen Freund”, the word “keinen” negates the meaning of the noun “Freund” (friend). The sentence means “I don’t have a friend.”
  • In the sentence “Ich lese nicht”, the word “nicht” negates the meaning of the verb “lesen” (to read). The sentence means “I don’t read.”
  • In the sentence “Das ist nicht meine Tasse”, the word “nicht” negates the meaning of the pronoun “meine” (my). The sentence means “This is not my cup.”

  Generally, “kein” is used to negate the meaning of nouns and pronouns, while “nicht” is used to negate the meaning of verbs, adverbs, and other words.

  Here are some additional notes about the use of “nicht”:

  • “Nicht” can also be used to negate the meaning of a whole clause. For example, “Ich glaube nicht, dass er kommt.” means “I don’t think he’s coming.”
  • “Nicht” can also be used to emphasize a negative statement. For example, “Ich bin nicht müde, aber ich gehe trotzdem ins Bett.” means “I’m not tired, but I’m going to bed anyway.”