Negative Questions and doch
Learn to understand negative yes/no questions and answer them clearly with nein or doch. Also practise negative questions in the German perfect tense.
Explanation
Negative questions and the answer **doch**
A negative yes/no question contains **nicht** or **kein-** and can express an expectation or surprise.
- Kommst du heute **nicht**?
- Hast du **keinen** Termin?
Word order follows other yes/no questions: the conjugated verb is in position 1.
**Nein** or **doch**?
Use **nein** when the negative assumption is true: **Nein, ich trinke keinen Kaffee.** Use **doch** when you contradict it positively: **Doch, ich trinke Kaffee.**
Here **doch** means that the opposite of the negative assumption is true. A simple **ja** can be ambiguous after a negative question, so **doch** is the clear positive contradiction.
Questions with **nicht** and **kein-**
Use **nicht** to negate an action, quality, or phrase. Use **kein-** before a noun that would have an indefinite article or no article. Check gender, number, and case with **kein-**.
Negative questions in the perfect tense
Put **haben** or **sein** first, then the subject, while the past participle stays at the end. **Nicht** normally comes before the participle or directly before the phrase being negated.
- **Hast** du die Nachricht **nicht gelesen**?
- **Seid** ihr gestern **nicht gekommen**?
- **Hat** Amir **keinen Platz reserviert**?
Negation does not change the choice of auxiliary verb or the participle form: first choose both forms, then place the negation.
Exercises
- Choose the suitable reply. Confirm the negative assumption with nein or contradict it positively with doch. (11)
- Contradict the negative question. Write a complete positive reply with doch. (11)
- Use the cues to form a negative yes/no question in the German perfect tense. (11)
A2 · German · Grammar