Breakdown of Das ist überhaupt kein Problem.
sein
to be
kein
no, not any
das Problem
the problem
überhaupt
at all, in general
Questions & Answers about Das ist überhaupt kein Problem.
Given that this lesson is about positioning nicht, why isn't there a nicht in this sentence?
It's a great reminder of a foundational rule: no matter how complex a sentence gets, if you are negating a noun that takes an indefinite article (ein/eine) or no article, kein always overrides nicht. We include this sentence so you don't forget this basic rule while learning the more advanced placements of nicht!
Could I technically say Das ist überhaupt nicht ein Problem?
What exactly does überhaupt add to the negation?
It acts as an intensifier. Whenever you pair überhaupt with a negative word like kein, nichts, or nicht, it translates to 'at all'. So while kein Problem just means 'no problem', überhaupt kein Problem means 'no problem at all'.
Why is überhaupt placed right before kein?
When you use überhaupt to intensify a negation, it is placed directly in front of the negative word it is emphasizing. Here, it sits right before kein. If you were emphasizing nicht in a different sentence, it would sit right before nicht (for example: Das stimmt überhaupt nicht - That is not true at all).
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