no
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no
A particle used to answer a question negatively, to refuse something, or to express disagreement. It is the opposite of 'ja' (yes).
„Möchtest du noch ein Stück Kuchen?“ – „Nein, danke.“
'Would you like another piece of cake?' — 'No, thank you.'
'Nein' (no) is an answer particle and stands on its own. It cannot be used inside a sentence to negate a noun or verb. For that, you use 'kein' (no/not a) or 'nicht' (not).
„Hast du Hunger?“ – „Nein, ich habe keinen Hunger.“
'Are you hungry?' — 'No, I'm not hungry.'
A standalone 'Nein' (no) can sound very direct and sometimes impolite. In everyday speech, it is often combined with 'danke' (thank you) or explained with a short sentence.
„Möchten Sie noch etwas Kaffee?“ – „Nein, danke, ich habe genug.“
'Would you like some more coffee?' — 'No, thank you, I've had enough.'
When 'Nein!' (No!) is used as an exclamation of disbelief or shock, you recognize it in spoken language by strong emphasis and in written language by the exclamation mark.
Nein! Das kann doch nicht wahr sein!
No! That can't be true!
nothing
'nichts' and 'nein' both have to do with negation, but they are used differently. 'nein' is an answer to a yes-no question or a direct refusal. 'nichts' is a pronoun and means that no thing is present or happening. They can be confused because both are negative. After a question like 'Kommst du mit?' (Are you coming along?), you say 'nein'. With a question like 'Was hast du gekauft?' (What did you buy?), you can say 'nichts'.
Beim Termin fragt Yara, ob sie warten muss, und der Arzt sagt nein.
At the appointment, Yara asks whether she has to wait, and the doctor says no.
Im Bus lese ich heute nichts, weil ich zu müde bin.
On the bus, I’m not reading anything today because I’m too tired.