The word for “no” in German is nein.
Just like in English, Germans use nein to give a negative answer.
Examples
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Nein, danke.
No, thank you.
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Nein, ich möchte nichts.
No, I don’t want anything.
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Nein, das ist nicht richtig.
No, that’s not correct.
Hast du Hunger? – Nein.
Are you hungry? – No.
Nein, ich spreche kein Französisch.
No, I don’t speak French.
Nein, ich glaube nicht.
No, I don’t think so.
The German nein comes from Old High German nein, meaning simply not or no.
It’s short, sharp, and clear — one of the first words every learner masters, and essential in everyday speech.
Here’s the very first lesson from my course 3 Minute German. Watch it below 👇
If you enjoyed this lesson, you’ll love the full course, where you’ll go from single words to confident conversations step by step.
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