nicht

See also: nicht-

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch nichte, from Old Dutch *nift, from Proto-Germanic *niftiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪxt/

• audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: nicht
• Rhymes: -ɪxt

Noun

nicht f (plural nichten, diminutive nichtje n)

1. female cousin; daughter of someone's uncle or aunt
2. niece; daughter of someone's brother or sister
3. niece; daughter of someone's brother- or sister-in-law
4. (derogatory) male homosexual, a gay man; in particular one who is camp or effeminate

Alternative forms

• nift (obsolete, Holland)
• nifte (obsolete, Holland)

Derived terms

• achternicht
• leernicht
• nichterig
• relnicht

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German

Alternative forms

• nich, nich' (informal writing, reflecting the common pronunciation)
• net, nit (colloquial; in central Germany, southern Germany, Austria)

Etymology

From Middle High German niwiht, niweht, niht, a contracted form of Old High German niowiht, from nio (“never”) + wiht (“being, creature”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪçt/
  • IPA^(key): [nɪçt]
  • IPA^(key): [niçt]
  • IPA^(key): [nɪxt], [nixt], [-χt]
  • IPA^(key): [nɪɕt], [nəɕt], [-ʃt]
• IPA^(key): /nɪç/

• audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪçt, -ɪç

Adverb

nicht

1. not, non- (negates the meaning of a verb, adjective, or adverb)

   Bitte nicht stören!

   Please do not disturb!

   Das ist nicht wahr.

   That is not true.

Usage notes

• The adverb nicht cannot freely be used in combination with indefinite nouns. Instead the negative adjective kein (“no”) is used.

Äpfel hat er nicht mitgebracht. ― He hasn't brought apples.

Es kam heraus, dass er nicht einen Hahn sondern ein Huhn gekauft hatte. ― It turned out that he hadn't bought a rooster but a hen.

Ich sehe keine andere Möglichkeit. ― I don't see any other possibility. (literally, “I see no other possibility.”)

Er hat keine Äpfel mitgebracht. ― He hasn't brought any apples with him. (literally, “He has brought no apples with him.”)

Derived terms

• nichtig
• Nichtigkeit

Interjection

nicht?

1. (tag question, dated or formal) right?; is it?; is it not?

   Du bist sicher die Claudia, nicht?

   You must be Claudia, aren't you?

Synonyms

• gell
• ne
• nicht wahr
• oder
• wa

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Kashubian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *nikъto.

Pronoun

nicht

1. nobody, no one

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Scots

Etymology

From Old English niht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪçt/

Noun

nicht (plural nichts)

1. night, evening
   • c. 1495, William Dunbar, The Tua Mariit Wemen and the Wedo:

     Apon the Midsummer evin, mirriest of nichtis, / I muvit furth allane [...].

2. (definite singular) tonight
   • It's a braw, bricht, moonlit nicht the nicht. It's a beautiful, bright moonlit night tonight.

Derived terms

• fortnicht

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West Frisian

Alternative forms

• nift

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch nicht.

Noun

nicht c (plural nichten, diminutive nichtsje)

1. female cousin

   Coordinate term: neef

2. (archaic) niece

Further reading

• “nicht”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011