How to Say "Not Yet" in German: noch nicht or noch kein?
Learn to say not yet in German with noch nicht and noch kein, including correct kein endings and the contrast with nicht mehr.
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In German, "not yet" is usually expressed with noch nicht or noch kein. The choice depends on what follows: noch nicht negates actions, states, or whole clauses, while noch kein negates an indefinite noun phrase or one without an article and must agree in gender and case. This lesson gives you reusable patterns for everyday situations, such as saying you are not finished, you have not received an answer, or there is no appointment yet. You will also learn to contrast noch nicht with nicht mehr, which means "no longer" or "not anymore."
By the end, you can…
- say that something has not happened yet using noch nicht.
- say that a person, thing, or appointment does not exist yet using noch kein with the correct ending.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ich bin noch nicht fertig.
I am not finished yet.
ikh bin nokh nikht FEHR-tikh
Use this when you are still working on something and need more time. Fertig is an adjective, so use noch nicht, not noch kein.
Ich habe noch keine Antwort.
I do not have an answer yet.
ikh HAH-buh nokh KYE-nuh ANT-vawt
Antwort is feminine, so kein becomes keine. This is useful when you are waiting for a reply by email, phone, or in person.
Es gibt noch keinen Termin.
There is no appointment yet.
es geept nokh KYE-nen tehr-MEEN
Termin is masculine, and after es gibt we use the accusative, so kein becomes keinen. Use this when no appointment has been scheduled yet.
Ich habe noch keine Zeit.
I do not have time yet.
ikh HAH-buh nokh KYE-nuh tsyt
Zeit is feminine, so use keine. This means you are not available yet, not that you will never be available.
Er ist noch nicht da.
He is not here yet.
ehr ist nokh nikht dah
Use noch nicht because da is an adverb of place, not a noun. This is common when waiting for someone to arrive.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use noch nicht to negate an action, adjective, or statement: Ich bin noch nicht fertig. Use noch kein with an indefinite noun phrase or a noun used without an article: Ich habe eine Antwort becomes Ich habe noch keine Antwort. Kein takes endings for gender, number and case: keine Antwort (feminine accusative), keinen Termin (masculine accusative), kein Auto (neuter accusative). A definite noun phrase can instead follow nicht: Das ist noch nicht der richtige Termin (That is not the right appointment yet). The choice is not simply whether the next word is a noun.
When to use it
Use these patterns to talk about unfinished actions, missing things, or pending replies. Say Ich bin noch nicht fertig when a task is incomplete. Say Ich habe noch keine Antwort when you are waiting for a reply. Say Es gibt noch keinen Termin when no appointment exists yet. To contrast, nicht mehr means "no longer" or "not anymore": Ich bin nicht mehr müde means "I am no longer tired." Compare Ich bin noch nicht müde (I am not tired yet) with Ich bin nicht mehr müde (I am no longer tired). The words noch and nicht (or kein) normally stand together directly before the word or phrase they relate to, so keep them adjacent.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Hast du schon eine Antwort von der Firma?
Do you already have a reply from the company?hast doo shohn EYE-nuh ANT-vawt fon dehr FEER-mahNein, ich habe noch keine Antwort.
No, I do not have an answer yet.nyn, ikh HAH-buh nokh KYE-nuh ANT-vawtUnd gibt es schon einen Termin?
And is there an appointment yet?unt geept es shohn EYE-nen tehr-MEENNein, es gibt noch keinen Termin.
No, there is no appointment yet.nyn, es geept nokh KYE-nen tehr-MEENA little context goes a long way
In everyday German, noch nicht and noch kein sound neutral and polite. They suggest that something has not happened up to now, without saying it will never happen. If you are asking staff about an appointment or a reply, a polite question such as Gibt es schon einen Termin? is normal. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, you may hear the same structures with slight pronunciation differences, but the standard written forms remain the same.
One thing to watch for
Saying Ich habe noch nicht Antwort or Es gibt noch nicht Termin.
Try this instead: In these indefinite noun phrases, use kein with the right ending: Ich habe noch keine Antwort and Es gibt noch keinen Termin. Nicht can still appear before a definite noun phrase, as in Das ist noch nicht der richtige Termin. For an adjective, use Ich bin noch nicht fertig.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "I do not have time yet" in German?
Show a sample answer
Ich habe noch keine Zeit.
Zeit is feminine and has no article in Ich habe Zeit. Negate this phrase with keine: Ich habe noch keine Zeit. This useful expression means you are not available yet.
2Complete with noch nicht or noch kein: Es gibt ___ Termin.
Show a sample answer
Es gibt noch keinen Termin.
Termin is masculine and es gibt takes the accusative. The indefinite einen Termin becomes keinen Termin, so the full answer is Es gibt noch keinen Termin.
3What is the difference between Ich bin noch nicht müde and Ich bin nicht mehr müde?
Show a sample answer
Ich bin noch nicht müde means "I am not tired yet." Ich bin nicht mehr müde means "I am no longer tired."
Noch nicht means something has not happened up to now. Nicht mehr means it was true before but is not true now.
Use noch nicht in statements such as Ich bin noch nicht fertig. Use noch kein with indefinite or article-free noun phrases, choosing the ending for gender, number and case. Nicht mehr means no longer.
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