In most languages you have to make sure that your subjects and verbs match. This is called conjugation. Below are several charts to help you with basic present tense conjugation.
Kein and nicht can be confusing because they both kind of mean not but they really are not interchangeable.
When to use kein. Kein is used when you want to say not or no or not any in relation to a noun. Think of it as an adjective. Because it is an ein-word, you have to make sure that you have the correct ending on kein. It is very rare to say nicht ein. If you have that, you probably want to use kein. Examples: Ich habe kein Sofa ==> I don't have a sofa./I have no sofa. Ich mag keinen Kaffee. ==> I don't like coffee. Ich will keine Äpfel. ==> I don't want any apples. Ich kenne keinen guten Zahnarzt. ==> I don't know any good dentists. When to use nicht. With a noun. You can use nicht with nouns in these instances: a noun preceded by der/die/das a noun preceded by a possessive (mein/dein/sein, etc) a proper noun (nicht Frau, nicht Deutschland, etc) Positions of nicht. 1. Nicht will precede the specific word that is being negated. a. adjectives. Sie ist nicht schön. b. gern. Ich spiele nicht gern Tennis. c. adverbs. Wir gehen nicht schnell. d. indefinite time. Ich fliege nicht oft. e. prepositional phrases. Er ist nicht unter dem Bett. 2. Send it to the end to mean "don't". Ich spiele Tennis nicht. Ich rufe sie nicht an. Need some practice? http://www.quia.com/quiz/171700.html http://german.tolearnfree.com/free-german-lessons/free-german-exercise-30872.php German has both a formal and an informal/familiar for for you.
Sie is formal and is used to address strangers, business associates, and acquaintances, and for most situations outside the family. Du is for family and relatives, close friends, young children, pets, and God. People in the same social group or class, such as students or factory workers, usually address each other as du. It is true that there has been a trend towards less formality, but it is important for us to understand and abide by the cultural norms. It is better to start out too formal than to risk being too familiar. Here is a great article on Deutsche Welle on the use of Du and Sie. http://www.dw.de/the-du-sie-dilemma-in-german/a-16494631 Here are a couple of videos to help you even more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RVjpuJzw74 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwGnVwb-Gbo |