kein

Keín is a German determiner and pronoun used to negate nouns. It corresponds to English “no” or “not any” and is distinct from nicht, which negates verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses. Keín is used before nouns to indicate the absence or lack of something, and it can replace an indefinite article in negated contexts (for example, kein Mann statt ein Mann).

Grammatikally, kein declines like the other ein-words. In the nominative singular, it appears as kein (masculine/neuter) or keine (feminine). In the plural it is keine. The forms for other cases follow the same pattern as ein:

- Nominative: kein Mann, keine Frau, kein Kind, keine Autos

- Accusative: keinen Mann, keine Frau, kein Kind, keine Autos

- Dative: keinem Mann, keiner Frau, keinem Kind, keinen Leuten

- Genitive: keines Mannes, keiner Frau, keines Kindes, keiner Autos

As a pronoun, kein can stand in for a noun, with forms such as keiner (no one) or keines/keins in contexts like “Keiner kommt” or “Keines davon.” Keín is usually placed before the noun it negates, but it can also precede a noun phrase in more complex constructions (for example, “Ich habe kein Geld, aber auch keine Zeit”).

Usage notes include the contrast with nicht: kein negates the noun itself, while nicht negates the predicate or entire phrase. For example: “Das ist kein Problem” vs “Das Problem ist nicht groß.” Keín is common with countable nouns and also with mass nouns in general negation.

Etymology traces keín to Old High German kīn and Proto-Germanic *kainaz, related to the negation words in other Germanic languages. It serves as the primary negator of nominal phrases in standard German.