The following words are used in German to represent negation:


nicht not

nie/niemals never

niemand no one/no body

nichts naught/nothing

nirgends nowhere

gar at all (see below)



Like English, German cannot have double-negatives.

The word 'nicht' must directly follow the verb it is negating. 'nie' or 'niemals' may be placed almost any where in the sentence. The others follow the rules of the parts of speech they replace.

The German word 'gar', when placed before the negation word carries with it the meaning of 'at all'.



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