nie
never
At no time; never.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe noch nie Sushi gegessen.
I have never eaten sushi before.
nie
never
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Meanings
nie und nimmer
never ever
An intensified form of 'nie' (never) that expresses absolute refusal or impossibility.
EXAMPLE
Ich werde dir mein Auto nie und nimmer leihen.
I will never ever lend you my car.
Usage tips
Sentence position
Like other adverbs, 'nie' (never) can stand in position 1 and trigger inversion. When it appears within the sentence, it is usually placed after the conjugated verb and pronouns.
EXAMPLE
Nie hätte ich das von dir gedacht.
Never would I have thought that of you.
Absolute negation
'Nie' (never) negates an action or event for all points in time. It means that something has not happened or will not happen at any point in the past, present, or future.
EXAMPLE
Er war noch nie in Asien.
He has never been to Asia.
No double negation
In German, double negation is avoided. Do not use 'nie' (never) together with other negative words like 'kein' (no/not any) or 'nicht' (not) in the same part of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Er hat nie Zeit für mich.
He never has time for me.
Fixed expression
The phrase 'nie und nimmer' (never ever) is a fixed idiom used for strong emphasis. It expresses absolute and often emotional refusal or impossibility.
EXAMPLE
Das werde ich nie und nimmer akzeptieren!
I will never ever accept that!
Compare with
nie vs niemals
never
Nie and niemals both mean that something never happens. Nie usually sounds neutral, while niemals often sounds stronger, more categorical, or more emotional. Nie fits a matter-of-fact statement; niemals is more suitable for an emphatic promise or a firm refusal.
nie
Ich trinke im Alltag nie Alkohol.
I never drink alcohol in my everyday life.
niemals
Nach dem Unfall schwor ich, niemals wieder Alkohol zu trinken.
After the accident, I swore never to drink alcohol again.
In real life
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