If you’re learning German, you’ve probably already noticed that one of the first challenges is figuring out how to make a negative sentence.

In English, we just use not or no — I’m not tired, I have no money — but in German, there are two different words for negation: kein and nicht. Each one has its own logic.

You’ve probably asked yourself:

👉 “When should I use kein and when should I use nicht?”

Don’t worry — this is one of the most common questions among beginners, and the answer is easier than it seems!

Let’s go step by step.

1. Kein — to negate a noun

The word kein comes from ein (“a” or “an”) and literally means “not a” / “no”.

You use kein when you want to negate a noun, that is, to say that something doesn’t exist or that you don’t have something.

– Heike Blum ist keine Ärztin. → Heike Blum is not a doctor.
– Jens Petersen hat keinen Hund. → Jens Petersen doesn’t have a dog.
– Jens Petersen hat kein Auto. → Jens Petersen doesn’t have a car.

As you can see, kein behaves just like the indefinite article ein / eine, and it changes according to gender, number, and case:

– ein Auto → kein Auto
– eine Ärztin → keine Ärztin
– einen Hund → keinen Hund

📍 Position:
Kein always comes right before the noun (or the adjective + noun):

– Ich trinke kein kaltes Bier. → I don’t drink cold beer.

2. Nicht — to negate everything else

If you want to negate a verb, adjective, adverb, or an entire part of a sentence, use nicht.

– Er spielt nicht Tennis. → He doesn’t play tennis.
– José Perez kommt nicht aus Holland. → José Perez isn’t from Holland.
– Francesco Di Rinaldo ist nicht verheiratet. → Francesco Di Rinaldo isn’t married.
– Francesca ist nicht mit Marie verheiratet. → Francesca isn’t married to Marie.

So nicht is used when you want to say that something isn’t true or doesn’t happen.

💡 Note:
Unlike kein, nicht never changes form — it’s invariable. It doesn’t depend on gender or case.

3. Can you use Kein and Nicht together?

Yes, sometimes! But each keeps its own job.

– Wir haben keine Zeit, weil wir nicht fertig sind. → We have no time because we’re not finished.

Here: keine negates the noun (Zeit → “no time”); nicht negates the action (fertig sein → “not finished”).

So, they can appear together, but they never replace each other.

4. Common mistakes to avoid

💡 Mistake 1: Using nicht instead of kein

❌ Ich habe nicht Auto.

✅ Ich habe kein Auto.

💡 Mistake 2: Forgetting to change the ending of kein

❌ Ich habe kein Hund.

✅ Ich habe keinen Hund.

💡 Mistake 3: Translating literally from English

❌ Ich nicht habe ein Auto.

✅ Ich habe kein Auto.

In English we say “I do not have a car,” but in German, the negation goes with the noun, not before the verb.

5. Why this distinction matters

Knowing when to use kein or nicht isn’t just about grammar — it’s about sounding clear and natural in German.

You’ll hear both forms all the time in daily conversations, when talking about what you don’t have, don’t do, or aren’t.

Once you master the difference, your German will sound much more fluent and confident, even at beginner level.

6. Want to learn more?

Check out the grammar sheet “Kein – Nicht” for a clear explanation and plenty of examples to help you understand German negation once and for all.

And if you want to keep practising with real examples and build a solid foundation, discover our Hallo! – Level A1 course: a clear, engaging, and motivating way to learn German step by step