In our previous article on negation with nicht, we looked at how nicht works in German sentences — where it goes, what it negates, and how its position changes depending on context. If you haven’t read that one yet, it’s a useful starting point.
This article focuses on the other key negation word in German: kein. While nicht handles verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and nouns with definite or possessive articles, kein is the word you need for all other nouns. Understanding when to use kein instead of nicht and how to decline it correctly is an important step in getting German negation right.
Nicht vs kein: Which one do you need?
The main question is simple: does the noun have a definite or possessive article? If so, use nicht — as covered in our previous article on negation with nicht. If not, use kein which means ‘not a’ or ‘not any’. This applies when the noun has an indefinite article, when it has no article at all, or when it is plural with no article.
- Ich habe kein Auto. (I don’t have a car.) — indefinite article
- Ich trinke keinen Kaffee. (I don’t drink coffee.) — no article
- Wir haben keine Kinder. (We don’t have children.) — plural, no article
Kein is an article — so it declines
Because kein functions as a negative indefinite article, it follows exactly the same declension pattern as ein/eine, with the addition of plural forms. Every time you use kein, you need to check the gender, case, and number of the noun it modifies. If you need a refresher on cases, our article on the accusative and dative is a good starting point.
Position of kein
Kein always comes directly before the noun it negates — and before any adjective that precedes that noun. This makes it more predictable than nicht, which changes position depending on what is being negated. For example, Ich habe kein Geld (I have no money), Das ist kein großes Problem (That is not a big problem).
It is worth remembering that kein is always the right choice when the noun has no definite or possessive article — so Ich habe kein Auto rather than reaching for nicht. Always check the gender and case of the noun to ensure kein is correctly declined, as in Ich habe keinen Hunger where Hunger is masculine accusative. And where the noun already has a definite article, nicht is correct — Ich mag die Musik nicht rather than kein.
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