Negative Sentences

Question 1

Nicht and Kein

Answer 1

Nichtandkeinare forms of negation, but nicht means not and kein means no, not a, or not any.

Question 2

Kein

Answer 2

Keinis used to negate nouns that either have no articles or are preceded by the indefinite article. Kein precedes the nouns in sentences. It is declined as an ein-word.

Ist das eine Katze?
Is that a cat?

Nein, das istkeineKatze.
No, that’s not a cat.

Question 3

Nicht

Answer 3

Nichtnegates nouns preceded by a definite article or a possessive adjective; or it could negate any part (verb, noun, adjective) or all of a sentence. Nicht always follows the verb, but usually precedes the part of the sentence to be negated. It you want to negate an entire sentence, nicht comes last. Nicht also follows expressions of time.

Das ist meine Frau.
That’s my wife.

Das istnichtmeine Frau.
That’s not my wife.

Heute ist es kalt.
It is cold today.

Heute ist esnichtkalt.
It is not cold today.