Negative commands tell someone not to do something in German. Like positive commands, they use the imperative mood, but you add "nicht" to say don’t do X.
Forming Negative Commands
Negative commands are formed by taking the imperative and adding "nicht" (not). Usually, "nicht" goes after the verb or at the end of the sentence.
- du form: Use the verb stem with -e if possible (optional in modern German), then add nicht.
- ihr form: Use the ihr imperative (verb + -t) + nicht.
- Sie form: Use Sie imperative (Verb + Sie) + nicht.
- wir form: Use wir imperative (Verb + wir) + nicht.
Examples
Here are typical imperatives and their negative forms:
| Person | Imperative Example | Negative Command |
|---|---|---|
| du | Iss den Apfel! (Eat the apple!) | Iss den Apfel nicht! (Don’t eat the apple!) |
| ihr | Macht die Tür zu! (Close the door!) | Macht die Tür nicht zu! (Don’t close the door!) |
| Sie | Kommen Sie bitte! (Please come!) | Kommen Sie bitte nicht! (Please don’t come!) |
| wir | Gehen wir los! (Let’s go!) | Gehen wir nicht los! (Let’s not go!) |
Key Rules for Placement of "nicht"
- Nicht generally comes right before the part of the sentence you want to negate*.
- If you’re negating the whole command, place nicht at the end.
- If you’re negating a specific part (like an object, adverb, or prepositional phrase), put nicht before that part.
Examples of Placement
| Sentence | Meaning | Placement Note |
|---|---|---|
| Iss den Apfel nicht! | Don’t eat the apple! | nicht* at end (whole sentence negated) |
| Iss nicht den Apfel! | Don’t eat the apple! | nicht* before object — same meaning here |
| Mach den Brief nicht auf! | Don’t open the letter! | nicht* before separable prefix + object |
Can "nicht" appear more than once in a negative command?
No, "nicht" appears only once, placed before the element to negate or at the end if negating the entire command.
"Nicht" is used only once in a negative command. It is placed before the specific part being negated or at the end if the whole command is negated.
How do you negate a specific part of a command, like an object or prepositional phrase?
Place "nicht" immediately before the part you want to negate.
To negate a specific element (such as an object or adverb), "nicht" is placed immediately before that element. This allows for precise negation without affecting the entire command.
Separable Verbs
Place nicht before the separable prefix.
| Example | Negative |
|---|---|
| Mach die Tür zu! (Close the door!) | Mach die Tür nicht zu! (Don’t close the door!) |
| Steh früh auf! (Get up early!) | Steh früh nicht auf! (Don’t get up early!) |
Modal Verbs
For modal verbs in imperative, same rules apply: add nicht at the end.
| Example | Negative |
|---|---|
| Sing laut, kannst du! (Sing loudly, you can!) | Sing laut nicht, kannst du! (Don’t sing loudly, even if you can!) |
Summary
- Take base imperative form.
- Add nicht for negation.
- Place nicht at the end (whole command) or before the element being negated.
- Separable prefixes stay at the end; put nicht before them.
Negative commands are easy once you learn the placement rules for nicht!
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
