nein

See also: Nein

German

Alternative forms

ne, nee, nö, nä, na (colloquial, regional)

Etymology

From a contraction of Old High German ni ein. Compare Old English nān, from ne ān (Modern English none, further contracted to no).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /naɪ̯n/
Audio (file)
Audio (Austria) (file)
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Interjection

nein

no
Hast du morgen Abend Zeit? — Nein, leider nicht.
“Do you have time tomorrow night?” — “No, unfortunately not.”

Usage notes

Nein, being the standard word, is acceptable in all contexts. Colloquial German has a strong tendency to prefer the alternative forms given above, however.

Antonyms

ja
doch

Derived terms

Derived terms

jein
Nein n

nein doch! - certainly not!
nein und abermals nein! - no and again no!

Further reading

nein in Duden online

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German neun, Dutch negen, English nine.

Numeral

nein

(cardinal) nine

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