Vocabulary
nein
/naɪ̯n/· adverb
no
No. „Nein, danke.“ is the polite way to say no to an offer: at the café, in a shop, when someone offers help. A bare nein can sound blunt, so add danke or leider.
CEFR A1Frequency ●●●●●
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One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
nein
no (answer)
Sind Sie Herr Kaya? – Nein, mein Name ist Weber.
Are you Mr Kaya? – No, my name is Weber.
Common combinations
- Nein, danke.No, thank you.
- Nein, leider nicht.No, I'm afraid not.
- Nein, gar nicht.No, not at all.
Similar & opposite
↔ Opposites
ja
Common learner mistakes
- Ich bin nein Jahre alt.Ich bin neun Jahre alt.nein [naɪ̯n] means no. The number 9 is neun [nɔɪ̯n]: listen for ei and eu.
Real examples
- Nein, danke.No, thank you.
- Sprechen Sie Arabisch? – Nein, leider nicht.Do you speak Arabic? – No, I'm afraid not.
- Bist du Lena? – Nein, ich bin Sara.Are you Lena? – No, I'm Sara.
