Breakdown of Ich sehe den Koffer nicht, aber ich habe einen Rucksack.
ich
I
ein
a, an (eine)
haben
to have
aber
but
nicht
not
der Koffer
the suitcase
sehen
to see
der Rucksack
the backpack
Questions & Answers about Ich sehe den Koffer nicht, aber ich habe einen Rucksack.
Why is it einen Rucksack instead of ein Rucksack?
Rucksack is a masculine noun (der Rucksack). In this sentence, it's the direct object of the verb habe (the thing you have), which means it must be in the accusative case. For masculine nouns in the accusative, the indefinite article ein changes to einen.
Both Koffer and Rucksack are masculine nouns. Why does one get den and the other einen?
Both nouns are direct objects here, so both are in the accusative case. The difference is just what you want to say: den is the definite article ("the" suitcase), while einen is the indefinite article ("a" backpack). Notice that both masculine articles take the -en ending in the accusative case.
The current lesson teaches the negative article keinen. Why doesn't this sentence say Ich sehe keinen Koffer?
The word kein (and its forms like keinen) is used to mean "not a" or "no". You only use it to negate nouns that have an indefinite article (ein) or no article. Because we are talking about the specific suitcase (den Koffer), we must use nicht instead to negate the verb.
Why does nicht come after den Koffer?
In German, when you negate an action that has a specific direct object (like den Koffer), the word nicht usually goes after that object. So literally, the sentence structure is "I see the suitcase not".
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