German · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Never" in German: nie
nie
Note: also: niemals
Never in German is nie. Niemals is a slightly stronger twin. Say Nie wieder for never again, and the opposite is immer.
Food preference
Ich esse nie Koriander.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce nie
Say it
NEE
/niː/
NEE. Long ee vowel. Niemals is NEE-mahls.
"Never" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| nie | never Default. | Default. |
| niemals | never (ever) Stronger emphasis. | Stronger emphasis. |
| nie wieder | never again After a bad experience. | After a bad experience. |
| noch nie | never yet / never before Life experience. | Life experience. |
How to use nie in real life
- 1Food preference
Ich esse nie Koriander.
I never eat cilantro.
Nie before the object.
- 2Travel boast
Ich war noch nie in Japan.
I've never been to Japan.
Noch nie = never yet.
- 3Promise
Das mache ich nie wieder.
I'll never do that again.
Nie wieder.
Mistakes English speakers make with nie
Incorrect: Ich never gehe.
Correct: Ich gehe nie.
Use nie in German word order.
Incorrect: nie nicht
Correct: nie / niemals
Don't stack nie with nicht.
Good to know
Noch nie is the natural way to say you've never done something in your life. Nie und nimmer is an emphatic old-fashioned "never ever."
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing a movie genre
ChatPal
Schaust du Horror?
Do you watch horror?
You
Nie. Ich schlafe sonst nicht.
Never. Otherwise I don't sleep.
ChatPal
Okay, dann nie Horror—lieber Komödie.
Okay, then never horror—rather comedy.
You
Genau. Ich bereue nie eine gute Komödie.
Exactly. I never regret a good comedy.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Never" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Never" in German
Is nie or niemals better?
Both work; niemals feels a bit stronger.
How do you say never again?
Nie wieder.
How do you say I've never…?
Ich habe noch nie… / Ich war noch nie…
What is the opposite of nie?
Immer.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
