German word

null

Pronunciation

IPA/nʊl/

Meaning

  • numberzero

Example

Heute Nacht sind es null Grad.

It is zero degrees tonight.

Illustration for null (zero)

More examples

Das Konto zeigt null Euro.

The account displays zero euros.

Core concept

An empty meter reading that can also stress that there is not even a trace of something.

Common phrases

  • null Grad

    zero degrees

  • null Euro

    zero euros

  • auf null reduzieren

    reduce to zero

Definition in German

Null ist die Zahl 0; im umgangssprachlichen Gebrauch dient 'null' außerdem als Verstärkung für ‚gar nicht‘.

Word origin

The numeral null entered German from Latin nullus through European scholarly usage, while its emphatic colloquial sense arose from the idea of complete absence.

Usage tips

  • In colloquial phrases such as 'null Ahnung' and 'null Interesse', null means 'no idea' or 'no interest' and is less formal than kein or keine.

Opposites

Related words

  • Nullpunktzero pointnoun
  • Nullstellerootnoun
  • nullenset to zeroverb

Word lists with this word