nicht or kein: the two ways of saying no
CEFR A1 · part 2
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
The plural is not an -s: the five routesForming the plural by its five routes —-e, -er, -(e)n, -s and no change—, with or…The accusative only moves the masculine: der becomes denMarking the direct object by changing der to den, and checking that die, das and the…Separable verbs: the piece that flies to the endSpotting a separable verb and sending its prefix to the end of the sentence when you…Reading German aloud: ei, ie, z, v, w, chReading any German word aloud, knowing which letters sound different from how they are…Every noun takes a capital letterCapitalising every noun, and using those capitals when reading to find what a long…der, die or das: the gender of nounsChoosing der, die or das, and spotting the endings that give the gender away without…The rule, in three lines
Two words and one question: what am I negating? If it is a noun that would take ein or nothing, use kein, and decline it like ein — kein Auto, keine Zeit, keinen Hund. If it is a verb, an adjective, an adverb, or a noun with der/die/das or a possessive, use nicht.
The usual slip. Using nicht for everything, because your own language has one word for no. And the reverse mistake, «nicht ein», a literal rendering of «not a» that German does not use: that is kein.
Why it catches you out. English is the one language of the four that already makes this distinction, and it maps almost perfectly: «I have no time» is kein and «I do not come» is nicht. What is new is that kein is a single word and declines like ein.