Negatives in German

This section explains Negatives in German. In German, negation is used to express the opposite of something positive, similar to how we use "not," "no," and "nothing" in English. Here are some key ways to form negatives in German at both Foundation and Higher Tier levels:

Kein / Keine / Keinen (No / None)

These words are used to negate nouns, similar to "no" or "none" in English. They are used in place of the indefinite article (ein, eine) and correspond to the gender and case of the noun.

• Kein = used for masculine and neuter singular nouns (nominative).
• Keine = used for feminine singular nouns and plural nouns (all cases).
• Keinen = used for masculine singular nouns in accusative case.

Examples:

• Foundation:
  • Ich habe kein Buch.
    (I don't have a book.)
  • Sie hat keine Freunde.
    (She has no friends.)
• Higher Tier:
  • Er hat keinen Hund.
    (He doesn't have a dog.)
  • Wir haben keine Zeit.
    (We don't have time.)

Nicht (Not)

The word nicht is used to negate verbs, adjectives, adverbs, or the whole sentence. It is similar to the word "not" in English.

Examples:

• Foundation:
  • Ich bin nicht müde.
    (I am not tired.)
  • Er spielt nicht gern.
    (He doesn’t like to play.)
• Higher Tier:
  • Ich habe das Buch nicht gelesen.
    (I haven’t read the book.)
  • Sie fährt nicht schnell.
    (She doesn’t drive fast.)

Position of "Nicht":

• "Nicht" usually comes after the verb or after the object (e.g., after a direct object in the sentence).
• If negating a whole sentence or the verb phrase, "nicht" typically comes at the end of the clause.

Niemand (No one / Nobody)

The word niemand is used to say "no one" or "nobody." It negates the subject of the sentence.

Examples:

• Foundation:
  • Niemand ist hier.
    (No one is here.)
  • Niemand mag Mathe.
    (Nobody likes maths.)
• Higher Tier:
  • Niemand weiß die Antwort.
    (No one knows the answer.)
  • Niemand hat den Film gesehen.
    (Nobody has seen the film.)

Nichts (Nothing)

The word nichts means "nothing" in English. It is used to negate the object of the sentence.

Examples:

• Foundation:
  • Ich habe nichts zu tun.
    (I have nothing to do.)
  • Es gibt nichts zu essen.
    (There is nothing to eat.)
• Higher Tier:
  • Er hat nichts verstanden.
    (He understood nothing.)
  • Sie sieht nichts im Dunkeln.
    (She sees nothing in the dark.)

Nie (Never)

The word nie means "never" and is used to express that something does not happen at all.

Examples:

• Foundation:
  • Ich gehe nie ins Kino.
    (I never go to the cinema.)
  • Er ist nie zu Hause.
    (He is never at home.)
• Higher Tier:
  • Wir haben nie in einem Hotel übernachtet.
    (We have never stayed in a hotel.)
  • Sie spricht nie mit mir.
    (She never speaks to me.)

Kein / Keine (Used with a Verb + Noun)

At a Higher Tier level, kein and keine are often used together with verbs to negate the existence of a noun.

Example (Higher Tier):

• Ich habe keinen Plan.
  (I have no plan.)
• Wir haben keine Ahnung.
  (We have no idea.)

Double Negatives

In German, double negatives are usually avoided, unlike in English where sometimes double negatives can be used for emphasis. However, in certain contexts, two negatives can appear in a sentence for emphasis, though it’s uncommon and usually in a conversational tone.

Example (Higher Tier):

• Ich habe niemanden nicht gesehen.
  (I haven’t seen anyone.)

This structure is more common in informal speech.

Word Order with Negatives

When you use nicht and kein, word order is important.

Examples:

• Foundation:
  • Ich esse nicht gern.
    (I don’t like to eat.)
  • Er hat kein Fahrrad.
    (He doesn't have a bike.)
• Higher Tier:
  • Ich habe das Buch nicht gelesen.
    (I haven't read the book.)
  • Sie mag keinen Kaffee.
    (She doesn't like coffee.)

Summary of Negatives in German:

• Kein / Keine / Keinen = used to negate nouns (no, none).
• Nicht = used to negate verbs, adjectives, adverbs (not).
• Niemand = no one, nobody.
• Nichts = nothing.
• Nie = never.

With these rules, you can make sentences negative in German and correctly express negation at both the Foundation and Higher Tier levels. Be mindful of word order, especially with nicht and kein.