Ich habe kein Auto.
English: I do not have a car.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Satzstruktur und Verneinung
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The 'Verneinung mit kein' is a way to make negative sentences in German. It means saying that there is not any of something, or that something does not exist.
When to use it
Use 'kein' to say that something does not exist or you don't have something. It is used with nouns that do not have a definite article, or with nouns in general.
Key forms
- 'kein' is used before a noun without an article.
- It changes according to gender and case: kein, keine, keinen, keinem, keiner, etc.
Examples
Er trinkt keine Milch.
English: He does not drink milk.
Wir haben keinen Hund.
English: We do not have a dog.
Sie hat keine Geschwister.
English: She has no siblings.
Gibt es keinen Kaffee mehr?
English: Is there no more coffee?
Tips
- Use 'kein' with nouns, not with verbs or adjectives.
- 'Kein' changes its ending based on gender (der, die, das) and case (nominative, accusative, etc.).
- Do not use 'kein' together with 'nicht' for the same noun.