CEFR A1 • Satz

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Satznegation

Q: How do you negate a sentence in German?

To negate a full sentence in German ( Satznegation ), you use the word nicht . Its default position is at the end of the sentence, but it moves in front of specific elements: the second part of the verb, verb complements, prepositional phrases, certain adverbs, and place expressions. The rule of thumb is: nicht goes as late as possible but always before those elements.

Q: What is the difference between nicht and kein in German?

Nicht negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and entire sentences. Kein- is the negative article and negates nouns — it replaces ein/eine or a zero article before a noun. For example: Sie trinkt nicht (verb negation) vs. Sie trinkt keinen Wein (noun negation). If you can use ein- before the noun, use kein- ; otherwise use nicht .

Q: Where does nicht go when there is a modal verb?

When a sentence contains a modal verb plus an infinitive, nicht comes directly before the infinitive at the end of the clause. For example: Ich kann morgen nicht kommen. The same rule applies to auxiliary verbs with past participles ( Wir haben den Film nicht gesehen ) and separable-prefix verbs ( Sie ruft mich nicht an ).

Q: Does nicht come before or after a prepositional phrase?

Nicht comes before a prepositional complement. If the verb requires a prepositional phrase (e.g., warten auf, denken an ), nicht is placed immediately before that entire phrase: Ich warte nicht auf dich. The same applies to adverbials of place: Er wohnt nicht in München.

At CEFR level A1, Satznegation (sentence negation) is the process of negating an entire German sentence using the word nicht. After mastering this topic, you will be able to place nicht correctly in any sentence structure and know when to use kein- instead to negate a noun phrase.

Kernregel: Nicht goes as late as possible in the sentence – but it always moves before the second verb part, verb complements, prepositional phrases, certain adverbs, and place expressions: Ich schlafe heute nicht. vs. Ich kann heute nicht schlafen.

Position von nicht – Where nicht Goes

The table below shows the six main positions nicht can occupy, depending on the structure of the sentence:

Position von nicht	Position 1	Position 2	Mittelfeld	Satzende
am Ende At the end of the sentence	Ich	schlafe	heute nicht.	—
vor dem zweiten Teil des Verbs Before the second part of the verb	Sie	hat	das Buch nicht	gelesen.
vor Ergänzungen, die eng zum Verb gehören Before complements that belong closely to the verb	Er	ist	nicht müde.	—
vor präpositionalen Ergänzungen Before prepositional complements	Ich	warte	nicht auf dich.	—
vor bestimmten Adverbien Before certain adverbs	Das	klappt	nicht immer.	—
vor lokalen Angaben Before adverbials of place	Er	wohnt	nicht in München.	—

Die Positionen im Detail – The Positions in Detail

1. Am Ende

When the sentence contains a simple conjugated verb and no special element follows it, nicht goes to the very end. This is the default position.

Ich verstehe das nicht. — I don't understand that.
Er kommt heute nicht. — He is not coming today.
Du schläfst nicht. — You are not sleeping.

2. Vor dem zweiten Teil des Verbs

Whenever the verb has two parts — such as a modal verb with an infinitive, an auxiliary with a past participle, or a separable prefix — nicht must come before the final verbal element at the end of the sentence.

Ich kann morgen nicht kommen. — I can't come tomorrow.
Wir haben den Film nicht gesehen. — We haven't seen the film.
Sie ruft mich nicht an. — She is not calling me.

3. Vor Ergänzungen, die eng zum Verb gehören

Some words are so closely tied to the verb that they form an inseparable unit — adjective complements or noun phrases that complete the verb's core meaning. Nicht steps in front of these.

Das Essen schmeckt nicht gut. — The food doesn't taste good.
Wir fahren nicht Fahrrad. — We don't ride bikes.
Er spielt nicht Tennis. — He doesn't play tennis.

4. Vor präpositionalen Ergänzungen

When the verb is followed by a prepositional complement — a phrase with a preposition that is required or expected by the verb — nicht goes before the entire prepositional phrase.

Sie denkt nicht an die Prüfung. — She is not thinking about the exam.
Ich interessiere mich nicht für Politik. — I am not interested in politics.
Er freut sich nicht auf den Montag. — He is not looking forward to Monday.

5. Vor bestimmten Adverbien

When an adverb of degree or frequency — such as gern, oft, sehr, immer, schnell — carries the meaning being negated, nicht stands directly before it.

Sie singt nicht gern. — She doesn't like singing.
Ich jogge nicht oft. — I don't jog often.
Das läuft nicht sehr gut. — That is not going very well.

6. Vor lokalen Angaben

Adverbials of place — phrases that indicate where something happens or is located — also appear after nicht, not before it.

Wir treffen uns nicht im Café. — We are not meeting at the café.
Das Kind spielt nicht draußen. — The child is not playing outside.
Bist du nicht nach Berlin geflogen? — Didn't you fly to Berlin?

Merkhilfe: Think of nicht as always trying to move toward the end of the sentence — but it gets "blocked" by the verbal bracket, verb complements, prepositional phrases, certain adverbs, and place expressions. Whenever one of those elements follows, nicht steps directly in front of it.

nicht vs. kein- – Choosing the Right Negation

Both words express negation, but they work differently. Nicht negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and whole sentences. Kein- is the negative article and is used exclusively before noun phrases — wherever you would use ein- or a zero article.

Sie trinkt nicht.

Nicht negates the verb — the entire action is negated.

Sie trinkt keinen Wein.

Kein- negates the noun phrase — only this specific thing is negated.

Faustregel: If you can replace the noun with einen / eine / ein (or use it with no article), use kein-. For everything else — verbs, adjectives, adverbs, whole sentences — use nicht.

Zusammenfassung – Summary

Standardposition: Nicht goes to the end of the sentence when no special element follows the verb.
Vor dem Verbklammer: Nicht comes before the second part of the verb — infinitives, past participles, and separable prefixes.
Vor Verbergänzungen: Nicht precedes adjective complements and fixed verb-noun combinations.
Vor präpositionalen Ergänzungen: Nicht comes before the entire prepositional phrase required by the verb.
Vor Adverbien: Nicht stands before adverbs of degree and frequency when those carry the negated meaning.
Vor lokalen Angaben: Nicht precedes phrases that express where something takes place.

Häufig gestellte Fragen – FAQ

How do you negate a sentence in German?

To negate a full sentence in German (Satznegation), you use the word nicht. Its default position is at the end of the sentence, but it moves in front of specific elements: the second part of the verb, verb complements, prepositional phrases, certain adverbs, and place expressions. The rule of thumb is: nicht goes as late as possible but always before those elements.

What is the difference between nicht and kein in German?

Nicht negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and entire sentences. Kein- is the negative article and negates nouns — it replaces ein/eine or a zero article before a noun. For example: Sie trinkt nicht (verb negation) vs. Sie trinkt keinen Wein (noun negation). If you can use ein- before the noun, use kein-; otherwise use nicht.

Where does nicht go when there is a modal verb?

When a sentence contains a modal verb plus an infinitive, nicht comes directly before the infinitive at the end of the clause. For example: Ich kann morgen nicht kommen. The same rule applies to auxiliary verbs with past participles (Wir haben den Film nicht gesehen) and separable-prefix verbs (Sie ruft mich nicht an).

Does nicht come before or after a prepositional phrase?

Nicht comes before a prepositional complement. If the verb requires a prepositional phrase (e.g., warten auf, denken an), nicht is placed immediately before that entire phrase: Ich warte nicht auf dich. The same applies to adverbials of place: Er wohnt nicht in München.