German grammar: Verneinung mit nicht

What this grammar point covers

In German, 'nicht' is used to make sentences negative. It means 'not' and is used to say that something is not true or does not happen.

When to use it

Use 'nicht' to make a sentence negative, for example, to say you do not do something, something is not a certain way, or something does not happen.

Key forms

• 'nicht' usually comes before adjectives or adverbs: 'Das ist nicht gut.'
• 'nicht' comes after the verb when negating the verb: 'Ich schlafe nicht.'
• 'nicht' comes before parts of the sentence you want to negate: 'Ich trinke nicht Kaffee.'

Examples

Tips

• Do not use 'nicht' with nouns when you want to say 'no' or 'none'; use 'kein/keine/kein' instead.
• 'Nicht' usually comes at the end of the sentence or before the word you want to make negative.
• Be careful with word order: 'nicht' does not always go at the very end.

Exceptions and edge cases

• 'Nicht' does not negate nouns with no article; use 'kein' instead.
• In fixed expressions, the position of 'nicht' can change.