Breakdown of Kommst du nicht? — Doch!
du
you (informal singular)
kommen
to come
nicht
not
doch
yes (contradicting a negative question)
Questions & Answers about Kommst du nicht? — Doch!
Why does nicht come at the very end of the question?
In German yes/no questions, the verb always comes first (Kommst), followed by the subject (du). When you negate the whole action (asking if they are not coming), nicht goes at the end of the sentence.
Why does the answer use Doch instead of Ja for 'Yes'?
Doch is a special word in German used to contradict a negative statement or question. Because the first person asked a negative question (Kommst du nicht?), answering with Ja would be confusing. You use Doch to say 'Yes, I actually am!' or 'On the contrary!'.
The English translation says 'Aren't you coming?', but shouldn't there be a German word for 'are'?
German doesn't have a continuous tense with 'to be' like English does (are coming, am going). The simple present verb Kommst translates to both 'Do you come?' and 'Are you coming?'.
What if I want to answer 'No, I am not coming'? Do I use Doch or Nein?
You would just use Nein. Doch is only used when you want to contradict the negative question and answer positively. If you agree with the negative question (meaning you are indeed not coming), you simply say Nein.