Questions & Answers about Kein neues Auto ist billig.
Why does neues have an -es at the end?
Auto is a neuter noun (das Auto). Because the negative article before it (kein) doesn't have a special ending to show the gender, the adjective has to do the work. We add -es to neu to signal that the noun is neuter and in the nominative (subject) case.
Why doesn't kein get an -es ending if Auto is neuter?
In the nominative case, indefinite-type articles like ein, mein, and kein do not take any extra endings for masculine or neuter nouns; they stay in their plain base form. That is exactly why the adjective (neues) is forced to take the -es ending instead!
Why doesn't the adjective billig get an ending like neues does?
Adjectives only get endings when they are placed directly before a noun (like neues Auto). When an adjective stands alone after the verb to describe the subject (like ist billig), it stays in its plain, basic form regardless of the noun's gender.
Why is kein used here instead of nicht?
In German, when you want to say "no" or "not a" directly before a noun, you must use the negative article kein. You use nicht when you are negating a verb or an adjective, but for a noun like Auto, kein is required.
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