German word

nie

Pronunciation

IPA/niː/

Meaning

  • adverbnever

Example

Er hat nie angerufen.

He has never called.

Illustration for nie (never)

More examples

Ich esse fast nie Fleisch.

I almost never eat meat.

Core concept

An entire calendar whose past and future contain no instance of the event in question.

Common phrases

  • noch nie

    never before

  • fast nie

    almost never

  • nie wieder

    never again

Similar words

niemals: The event does not occur at all, with strong emphasis on its absence.
noch nie: The event has never happened up to the present time.
nie wieder: The event will not happen again in the future.
nicht: Expresses negation of a fact, action, or property.

Definition in German

Überhaupt niemals; zu keiner Zeit vorkommend.

Word origin

German inherited nie through Old and Middle High German from the Germanic negative particle *ni, which acquired a temporal meaning.

Usage tips

  • Noch nie means 'never yet', while nie wieder means 'never again'.

Opposites

Related words

  • niemalsneveradverb
  • nimmernevermoreadverb

Word lists with this word