Negating adjectives
To say "not" in German, use the word nicht. When you want to negate a descriptive word (an adjective), place nicht directly before the adjective, just like in English.
| The coffee is not cold. | Der Kaffee ist nicht kalt. |
| The book is not expensive. | Das Buch ist nicht teuer. |
Negating adverbs
Nicht also goes directly before adverbs that you want to negate. For example, to say "not always", place nicht right in front of immer (always).
| The water is not always hot. | Das Wasser ist nicht immer heiß. |
Negating actions
When you want to negate a whole sentence or deny an action (a verb), the placement changes. In simple sentences where you are saying someone or something is not doing an action, nicht goes at the end of the sentence.
| Are the children sleeping? No, they are not sleeping. | Schlafen die Kinder? Nein, sie schlafen nicht. |
| The car is not working. | Das Auto funktioniert nicht. |
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