Negation
There are many ways of negation of a phrase. The most common one is with nicht.
e.g. Er kommt nicht = He does not come.
The English not corresponds to nicht.
To answer declining to a question there is another word nein.
e.g. You want an apple? No, thanks. = Willst du einen Apfel? Nein, danke.
Alternative ways of negation:
Beside the form of negation with nicht there are lots of other possibilities.
Have a look at these phrases
never = nie
nobody = niemand
no one = keiner
never = niemals
He comes never. = Er kommt nie.
He knows nobody / He does not know anybody. = Er kennt niemanden.
I do not eat it. = Ich esse es nicht.
Nobody was able to tell me. = Niemand / Keiner war in der Lage, es mir zu sagen.
A human does never do something like this. = Ein Mensch tut so etwas niemals.
I do not read this book. = Ich lese dieses Buch nicht.
e.g. Er kommt nicht = He does not come.
The English not corresponds to nicht.
To answer declining to a question there is another word nein.
e.g. You want an apple? No, thanks. = Willst du einen Apfel? Nein, danke.
Alternative ways of negation:
Beside the form of negation with nicht there are lots of other possibilities.
Have a look at these phrases
never = nie
nobody = niemand
no one = keiner
never = niemals
He comes never. = Er kommt nie.
He knows nobody / He does not know anybody. = Er kennt niemanden.
I do not eat it. = Ich esse es nicht.
Nobody was able to tell me. = Niemand / Keiner war in der Lage, es mir zu sagen.
A human does never do something like this. = Ein Mensch tut so etwas niemals.
I do not read this book. = Ich lese dieses Buch nicht.