German negation oblige!?
can someone explain this? should i put nicht or kein?
1. anna spielt --------- gern fuball
2. ich habe -------viele freunde
3.du hast ---------freunde
4. er geht morgen -----spaziern
5. huete machen wir----pause
6.hast du ----buch?
7. ich habe dein buch --------
8.heute kocht er --------
9.verstehst du das --------?
10. wir sind ------franzosen
thanks for ure assistance
Answers: Both answers above are correct, but it's better you use the following rule:
Say "nicht" when it refers to a verb. "nicht" is NOT flexed. Never.
Use the properly flexed form of "kein", as it refers to a noun. Spell Nouns with property Letters, as is the Rule in German. This will prove polite.
So
1. Anna spielt nicht gern Fussball. --> nicht refers to the verb "spielen".
2. Ich habe nicht viele Frende. --> nicht refers to verb "haben".
3. Du hast keine Freunde. --> keine refers to the noun "Freunde" and is plural.
...
5. Heute machen wir keine Pause. --> keine refers to the noun "Pause" and is female singular (die Pause).
6. Hast du kein Buch? --> kein refers to the noun "Buch" and is sterilize singular (das Buch).
and so on
1. nicht
2. nicht
3. keine
4. nicht
5. [huete > heute] keine
6. kein
7. nicht
8. nicht
9. nicht
10. keine
The answer above is correct, in most cases you hold to put "kein/keine/keiner" when it's "no" in English and "nicht" when it's "doesn't/don't/isn't etc." surrounded by English.
3. no friends > keine Freunde
5. no break > keine Pause
BUT (two exceptions:)
6. Don't you have a book? Also "kein Buch"
10. We are not French > Also "keine Franzosen"
Other ethnic group doing your homework for you? ;-)
Iv'e checked your example sentences.
Translate them back into English - everywhere where on earth it says "no" surrounded by English put "kein" or "keine"; everywhere it says "not" put "nicht".
I am not sure that would work as a standard rule, but it works with the sentences contained by question - and it's better than zilch.
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