CEFR A1
What you will learn
- Recognise the pattern taught in “nicht or kein: form, case and scope” in a short example.
- Choose the appropriate form from “nicht or kein: form, case and scope” using explicit evidence.
- Apply and justify the rule from “nicht or kein: form, case and scope” in a new case.
Before you start
- Recognise the vocabulary and forms shown in this lesson’s key idea and paradigm.
The idea
kein takes the place of ein or a bare plural to deny the existence or quantity of a noun; nicht negates verbs, qualities, complements or contrasts, and its position signals scope.
Use kein when the affirmative would contain ein/eine or a bare plural: Er hat einen Hund → Er hat keinen Hund; Wir kaufen Blumen → Wir kaufen keine Blumen. kein behaves like the ein family and changes for gender, number and case.
Nominative paradigm: masculine kein, feminine keine, neuter kein, plural keine. Accusative paradigm: masculine keinen, feminine keine, neuter kein, plural keine. The only additional visible change between these two cases is masculine singular.
Use nicht to negate a quality —Das Zimmer ist nicht groß—, a verb or the whole situation —Wir kommen heute nicht—, a complement with a definite article —Ich nehme nicht den Bus— or a contrast —nicht heute, sondern morgen. Its position cannot be reduced to “nicht always goes at the end”. Put it before the contrasted element; for clause negation it commonly appears late, but before the final part of the sentence bracket: Ich rufe dich heute nicht an.
Compare scope: Ich kaufe das rote Fahrrad nicht negates the purchase in that situation; Ich kaufe nicht das rote Fahrrad, sondern das blaue contrasts the object. Choosing between nicht and kein and placing nicht are two separate decisions.
kein: nominative
| Item | Form |
|---|---|
| masculine | kein |
| feminine | keine |
| neuter | kein |
| plural | keine |
kein: accusative
| Item | Form |
|---|---|
| masculine | keinen |
| feminine | keine |
| neuter | kein |
| plural | keine |
Scope of nicht
| Item | Form |
|---|---|
| 1 | before a quality or contrasted element |
| 2 | late, for clause negation |
| 3 | before a particle or final infinitive in the verbal bracket |
How it sounds
- Das ist kein Museum.Museum is a neuter noun whose affirmative is ein Museum, so use kein.
- Die Suppe ist nicht kalt.nicht negates the adjective kalt.
- Er fährt nicht nach Bern, sondern nach Basel.nicht stands before the contrasted destination.
Check objective 1Another case
Negate the unspecified possession with a negative article: Mara hat ___ Auto.
Negate the unspecified possession with a negative article: Mara hat ___ Auto.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: kein — The affirmative would be ein Auto; Auto is neuter and accusative, so the form is kein.
The affirmative would be ein Auto; Auto is neuter and accusative, so the form is kein.
Answer: kein — The affirmative would be ein Auto; Auto is neuter and accusative, so the form is kein.
The affirmative would be ein Auto; Auto is neuter and accusative, so the form is kein.
Check objective 2Another case
A proposed answer is “kein” for this case: “Das Wetter ist kein warm.”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “keine” for this case: “Das Wetter ist keine warm.”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: nicht — warm is a predicative adjective, so nicht negates the quality.
warm is a predicative adjective, so nicht negates the quality.
Answer: nicht — warm is a predicative adjective, so nicht negates the quality.
warm is a predicative adjective, so nicht negates the quality.
Check objective 3Another case
Negate the unspecified quantity with a negative article: Wir kaufen ___ Äpfel.
Negate the unspecified quantity with a negative article: Wir kaufen ___ Äpfel.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: keine — The plural affirmative has no article; kein takes the accusative plural form keine.
The plural affirmative has no article; kein takes the accusative plural form keine.
Answer: keine — The plural affirmative has no article; kein takes the accusative plural form keine.
The plural affirmative has no article; kein takes the accusative plural form keine.
When it doesn't hold
What breaks the rule, said out loud. Hiding it is what makes you feel cheated in the exam.
- With viel, wenig or a number the negation goes back to nicht.Ich habe nicht viel Zeit.
- When you negate in order to correct, nicht goes in front of the negated part and then sondern follows.Das ist nicht mein Buch, sondern deins.
- With sein and a place, nicht goes in front of the place, not at the end.Er ist nicht in Berlin.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Ich habe nicht einen Bruder.
Right Ich habe keinen Bruder.
English does have a word for exactly this —«no brother» as opposed to «not a brother»— but it never declines it, so the reflex is to reach for nicht plus the article instead.
Challenge: apply every rule
Solve every case and justify each choice: 1) A proposed answer is “nicht” for this case: “Mara hat nicht Auto.”. Choose the only valid form. 2) A proposed answer is “kein” for this case: “Das Wetter ist kein warm.”. Choose the only valid form. 3) A proposed answer is “keinen” for this case: “Wir kaufen keinen Äpfel.”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
- Recognise the pattern taught in “nicht or kein: form, case and scope” in a short example.
- Choose the appropriate form from “nicht or kein: form, case and scope” using explicit evidence.
- Apply and justify the rule from “nicht or kein: form, case and scope” in a new case.
Answer: kein · nicht · keine
The affirmative would be ein Auto; Auto is neuter and accusative, so the form is kein. warm is a predicative adjective, so nicht negates the quality. The plural affirmative has no article; kein takes the accusative plural form keine.
Curriculum alignment and sources
- CEFR A1 · negate simple information about objects, qualities, actions and needs; the sequence is editorial · Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Companion Volume
- German negation forms and scope cross-checked against language-specific reference descriptions · Reference Level Descriptions developed so far
Continue along this corridor
Practise this: nicht or kein: the two ways of saying noGerman dative A2: forms, functions and government