How to Say ‘No, unfortunately not.’ in German
Nein, leider nicht.
nine LY-dair nikht
[nine LY-dair nikht]
💬 Usage Tip: Natural full reply. Good balance of direct and polite.
🇩🇪 In Germany: Excellent phrase for speaking with landlords, Hausmeister, or technicians.
Phrase Breakdown
Nein
[nine]
no
A basic word for refusing or saying something is not the case.
Nein, ich konnte den Boiler nicht reparieren.
No, I couldn't repair the boiler.
Leider nicht
LY-dair nikht
unfortunately not
A polite way to say something is not possible or not the case.
Kannst du morgen kommen? — Leider nicht.
Can you come tomorrow? — Unfortunately not.
Words in this phrase
leider
[LY-dair]
unfortunately
Used to express regret or bad news politely.
Leider habe ich immer noch kein heißes Wasser.
Unfortunately, I still don't have hot water.
nicht
[nikht]
not
Negates a verb, adjective, or whole statement.
Der Boiler funktioniert nicht.
The boiler is not working.
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