nicht

Nicht is the standard German negation particle meaning “not” or “no.” It negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, or entire clauses, and it is invariable, showing no changes for gender, number, or case. It is commonly contrasted with kein, which negates the existence or quantity of a noun or noun phrase.

Examples illustrate its use: Ich bin nicht müde. (I am not tired.) Ich esse nicht gern. (I do not like to eat.) Er kommt heute nicht. (He is not coming today.) Das ist nicht teuer. (That is not expensive.) For negating nouns, German typically uses kein: Ich habe kein Geld. Kein auto, keine Ahnung, etc. Kein agrees with the noun in gender and number, unlike nicht.

Scope and placement: The position of nicht in a sentence depends on what is being negated. It often follows time, manner, or place phrases and then negates the rest of the predicate, as in Er kommt heute nicht. It can negate a whole clause, as in Ich glaube nicht, dass er kommt, or negate a specific element, as in Das ist nicht teuer. Nicht can also appear in phrases like nicht nur … sondern auch, meaning “not only … but also.” When negating adjectives or adverbs, nicht directly precedes the word it negates: nicht gut, nicht schnell.

Etymology: Nicht derives from Old High German niht, meaning “not,” and is cognate with Dutch niet and English not. It is a fundamental element of German grammar and is widely used across registers.