Breakdown of Kaufst du keinen Pullover?
du
you (informal singular)
kaufen
to buy
kein
no, not any
der Pullover
the sweater
Questions & Answers about Kaufst du keinen Pullover?
Why is it keinen Pullover and not just kein Pullover?
Pullover is a masculine noun (der Pullover). Because it is the direct object in this sentence (the thing being bought), it is in the accusative case. In the accusative case, the article for a masculine noun adds an -en ending, which changes kein to keinen.
Why does the German sentence use keinen instead of nicht to mean "aren't you"?
When you want to say "not a" before a noun in German, you must use the negative article kein (or its ending variations) rather than the word nicht. So instead of literally saying "not a sweater," German requires you to say the equivalent of "no sweater" (keinen Pullover).
Why does the sentence start with the verb Kaufst?
This is a yes/no question. In German, to turn a regular statement like Du kaufst (You buy) into a yes/no question, you simply swap the subject and the verb. This puts the verb in the very first position: Kaufst du...? (Are you buying...?).
The English translation says "Aren't you buying", but where is the "are" in the German sentence?
German doesn't have an "-ing" form (present continuous tense) like English does. There is only one present tense. Depending on the context, Kaufst du...? can be translated as "Do you buy...?" or "Are you buying...?".
Learn Kaufst du keinen Pullover and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free