Noun Negation (geen)
In Dutch, use geen to negate a noun that has no article or uses the indefinite article een (a/an). It translates to "no", "not a", or "not any".
| I do not drink milk. | Ik drink geen melk. |
| He does not eat bread and does not drink milk. | Hij eet geen brood en drinkt geen melk. |
| The shop does not sell bread. | De winkel verkoopt geen brood. |
Expressing Need
To say you need something, use nodig hebben. The verb hebben conjugates normally, while nodig usually moves to the end of the sentence. Place geen before the noun to say you do not need it.
| What do you need? | Wat hebben jullie nodig? |
| We do not need a bag. | We hebben geen tas nodig. |
Geen vs. Niet
Use geen only for negating nouns. To negate an adjective—such as duur (expensive) or goedkoop (cheap)—use niet.
| The car is not cheap, but expensive. | De auto is niet goedkoop, maar duur. |
If you are negating the noun ("not a coat"), you still use geen, even in sentences with multiple verbs.
| I do not want to buy a coat. | Ik wil geen jas kopen. |
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