Ich habe heute keinen Termin.

I have no appointment today.

Breakdown of Ich habe heute keinen Termin.

• ich: I
• heute: today
• haben: to have
• der Termin: the appointment
• keinen: no

Questions & Answers about Ich habe heute keinen Termin.

Why is it keinen Termin and not kein Termin or keine Termin?

Termin is a masculine noun in German (der Termin).

In this sentence, Termin is the direct object of haben, so it is in the accusative singular. The negating word kein has to agree with the noun in gender, number, and case, just like the indefinite article ein.

Declension pattern (singular):

• Nominative: ein Termin → kein Termin
• Accusative: einen Termin → keinen Termin

Since we need the accusative, we get keinen Termin.

Why do we use kein instead of nicht here?

Use kein when you are negating a noun that does not already have any article or determiner:

• Ich habe heute keinen Termin.
  = I don’t have any appointment today.
  (Termin has no article → use kein)

Use nicht when:

1. The noun already has an article or determiner:
   • Ich habe heute nicht den Termin.
     = I don’t have the (specific) appointment today.
2. You are negating a verb, adjective, adverb, or whole clause:
   • Ich komme heute nicht. (I’m not coming today.)
   • Das ist nicht teuer. (That is not expensive.)

So in Ich habe heute keinen Termin, we are negating the existence of any appointment at all → kein is the right choice.

What case is Termin in, and how can I tell?

Termin is in the accusative case.

Reason: the verb haben takes a direct object in the accusative. In Ich habe heute keinen Termin, the thing that is “had” is Termin, so:

• Subject (nominative): ich
• Verb: habe
• Direct object (accusative): keinen Termin

You can see the accusative from the form keinen (compare: nominative would be kein Termin).

Can I change the word order, e.g. Heute habe ich keinen Termin or Ich habe keinen Termin heute?

Yes, several word orders are grammatically correct, but they differ slightly in emphasis or style:

1. Ich habe heute keinen Termin.
   Neutral, very common. The time word heute stands in the “middle field,” which is typical.

2. Heute habe ich keinen Termin.
   Also very common. Putting heute first emphasizes today more strongly, often contrasting with another day:

   • Heute habe ich keinen Termin, aber morgen habe ich viele.

3. Ich habe keinen Termin heute.
   Grammatically possible, but sounds more marked and slightly less natural in standard German. It can be used for emphasis on heute, often in spoken language.

What you cannot say is something like Ich habe keinen heute Termin; the time word heute should not split the article and noun.

What is the difference between Ich habe heute keinen Termin and Ich habe heute keine Termine?

The difference is mainly singular vs. plural:

• Ich habe heute keinen Termin.
  Literally: I have no appointment today.
  → Suggests you are thinking of one appointment (or of whether you are booked at all).

• Ich habe heute keine Termine.
  Literally: I have no appointments today.
  → Emphasizes that your whole schedule is empty (no appointments at all).

In everyday conversation, both often mean “I’m free today” / “I don’t have anything scheduled today,” but the plural can highlight that your entire day is clear.

Is Termin always translated as “appointment”? How is it different from Datum, Treffen, or Verabredung?

Termin usually means a fixed, scheduled time for something, often somewhat formal or business‑like:

• Doctor’s appointment: ein Arzttermin
• Meeting at an office: ein Termin im Büro

Common contrasts:

• Termin – a scheduled slot (doctor, office, official meeting, deadlines).
• Treffen – a meeting or get‑together in general (can be formal or informal).
• Verabredung – an arranged meeting, often private or social (meeting a friend, going on a date).
• Datum – the calendar date (e.g. 14. März), not an appointment.

So Ich habe heute keinen Termin suggests “I have no scheduled appointments (e.g. doctor, office, official stuff) today,” not primarily social plans.

Do I need a preposition with heute, like am heute or auf heute?

No. Heute is a time adverb and stands on its own:

• Ich habe heute keinen Termin. ✅

You use am with days of the week or specific dates:

• am Montag (on Monday)
• am 14. März (on the 14th of March)

Example contrast:

• Ich habe am Montag keinen Termin.
• Ich habe heute keinen Termin.

But am heute or auf heute is wrong.

Could I say Ich bin heute frei instead, and how is that different from Ich habe heute keinen Termin?

Yes, you can say:

• Ich bin heute frei. = I am free today.

Difference in nuance:

• Ich habe heute keinen Termin.
  Focuses on the absence of appointments. It sounds a bit more neutral, often used when talking about schedules or calendars.

• Ich bin heute frei.
  Focuses on your availability. It suggests “I’m not working / I am available / I can do something.”

They often overlap in meaning, but if you specifically want to say “no appointments in my schedule,” Ich habe heute keinen Termin is more precise.

How would I say this in the past or future?

Past (simple conversational past using Perfekt):

• Ich hatte gestern keinen Termin. (Imperfekt – also fine, especially in writing)
• Ich habe gestern keinen Termin gehabt. (Perfekt – common in speech)
  = I didn’t have an appointment yesterday.

Future:

German usually uses the present tense + time word:

• Ich habe morgen keinen Termin.
  = I won’t have an appointment tomorrow.

You can use Futur I, but it’s less common here:

• Ich werde morgen keinen Termin haben.

How would I say “I don’t have the appointment today” instead of “I don’t have an appointment today”?

Here you are negating a specific, known appointment (with the). That means you use nicht with a definite article:

• Ich habe den Termin heute nicht.
  = I don’t have the appointment today. (It takes place another day / it was moved / canceled for today.)

Compare:

• Ich habe heute keinen Termin.
  → There is no appointment at all today.
• Ich habe den Termin heute nicht.
  → That particular appointment does not take place today (but may happen some other time).