🙅⏰

How to Say ‘I have no time.’ in German

Ich habe keine Zeit.

ikh hah-be kigh-neh tsayt

[ikh hah-be kigh-neh tsayt]

💬 Usage Tip: German says "no" before a noun with kein rather than nicht: Ich habe keine Zeit, not nicht Zeit. Same pattern: Ich habe kein Auto "I have no car".

Phrase Breakdown

Ich habe

ikh hah-be

I have

Use the soft 'ch' in 'Ich'. 'habe' is 'HAH-beh', with a light final 'e'.

Example

Ich habe einen Hund.

I have a dog.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

habe

[hah-be]

have

To possess or hold.

Example

Ich habe bei meinem letzten Job neue Fähigkeiten erworben.

I have acquired new skills at my last job.

keine Zeit.

kigh-neh tsayt

no time

'keine' means 'no / not any' and is used before nouns. Say 'KAI-neh'. 'Zeit' starts with 'ts'.

Example

Heute habe ich keine Zeit.

Today I have no time.

Words in this phrase

keine

[kigh-neh]

Not a single one; indicating the absence of something.

Example

Es gibt keinen einzigen, und auch keine mehr zu finden.

There is not a single one, and also no more to find.

Zeit

[tsayt]

time

Refers to the concept of time.

Example

Ich habe keine Zeit.

I have no time.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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