Negative Articles (Negationsartikel)¶
Negative articles in German work like the indefinite article but mean “no” or “not any.” They are used to negate the existence of something.
Negative Article Table¶
| Case (Kasus) | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | kein | keine | kein | keine |
| Accusative | keinen | keine | kein | keine |
| Dative | keinem | keiner | keinem | keinen |
| Genitive | keines | keiner | keines | keiner |
Examples¶
- Ich habe keinen Hund. (I have no dog.)
- Sie kennt keine Frau. (She knows no woman.)
- Wir kaufen kein Auto. (We are buying no car.)
- Das sind keine Bücher. (Those are no books.)
Notes¶
- The endings of the negative article are the same as those of the indefinite article (ein).
- Used for both singular and plural nouns.
- For emphasis or to specify, use other determiners (e.g., überhaupt kein = absolutely no).
Learning the correct forms of the negative article is important for expressing negation in German sentences.