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Translation of German word "nie" to English

nie

/niː/

Meaning

Verb

Temporal adverb meaning 'never / at no time'.

Reviewed by the TheLernen language teamDefinition sourced from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How to use

nie ('never') is an adverb (not a verb). Ich war nie dort — I was never there. Besser spät als nie — Better late than never.

🇬🇧 English

never

Example

Ich sage nie, was ich nicht tue.

I never say what I don't do.

Er sagt nie, was er nicht tut.

He never says what he doesn't do.

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Synonyms

never / at no time

Common phrases

  • nie wieder— never again
  • fast nie— almost never / hardly ever

More Adverbs & Numbers words

Frequency rank: #871 in German

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of the German word "nie"?▼

The German word "nie" is defined as: "Temporal adverb meaning 'never / at no time'."

What does the German word "nie" mean?▼

The German word "nie" means "never" in English.

How do you pronounce the German word "nie"?▼

You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "nie" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.

Can I see an example sentence with "nie"?▼

Yes, here is a practical example: "Ich sage nie, was ich nicht tue." (which translates as "I never say what I don't do.").

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