Yes and No in German: Ja, Nein, Doch and Natural Alternatives

"Yes" in German is ja (YAH), and "no" is nein (NINE, exactly like the English number). German also has a third answer that English doesn't: doch (DOKH), a "yes" that contradicts a negative question, as in Kommst du nicht mit? Doch! (Aren't you coming along? Yes, I am!)

Below you'll find a quick-reference table, natural ways to say yes and no in every situation (casual, polite, enthusiastic and firm), how to answer negative questions correctly, and the mistakes English speakers make most often.

Yes and No in German: Quick Reference

German	English	When to use
Ja	Yes	The standard yes, formal or casual
Nein	No	The standard no, formal or casual
Doch	Yes (I do, it is)	Contradicting a negative question or statement
Genau	Exactly, right	Agreeing with what someone just said
Klar / Na klar	Sure, of course	Friendly, casual agreement
Gerne	Gladly, I'd love to	Accepting an offer, invitation or request
Nee / Nö	Nah, nope	Casual speech and texts
Nein, danke	No, thank you	Politely turning down an offer
Leider nicht	Unfortunately not	A friendly, regretful no
Auf keinen Fall	No way, definitely not	A firm no
Jein	Yes and no	When the honest answer is both

Ja, Nein and Doch: The Three Basic Answers

Ja: Yes

The German j sounds like an English y, so ja sounds like "yah". It works everywhere, from a job interview to a chat with friends:

Sprechen Sie Englisch? Ja, ein bisschen. (Do you speak English? Yes, a little.)
Möchten Sie eine Tüte? Ja, bitte. (Would you like a bag? Yes, please.)

Inside a sentence, ja is often not a "yes" at all but a small word that adds emphasis or surprise: Das ist ja super! (That's great!)

Nein: No

Nein is the standard, neutral "no". It isn't rude or harsh, and you can use it with anyone:

Hast du heute Zeit? Nein, heute leider nicht. (Do you have time today? No, not today, unfortunately.)
Nein, das ist falsch. (No, that's wrong.)

Doch: The Yes English Doesn't Have

When a question or statement is negative and you want to say the opposite, German doesn't use ja. It uses doch, said with the throaty ch of Scottish "loch":

Du hast keine Zeit, oder? Doch, ich habe Zeit. (You don't have time, do you? Yes, I do.)
Das stimmt nicht! Doch, das stimmt! (That's not true! Yes, it is!)

This is the most important nuance English speakers miss, and you'll find a full table further down. Doch also means "but" and works as a particle (Komm doch mit!), all covered in our guide on how to use doch in German. The Doch! phrase page has audio and more examples.

Other Ways to Say Yes in German

Casual Yes

Jo: a relaxed "yeah", heard in casual speech in many regions.
Jap or Jep: "yep".
Joa: a slow, hesitant "yeah, I guess". War das Essen gut? Joa, ganz okay. (Was the food good? Yeah, it was okay.)
Mhm: the same "uh-huh" as in English, to show you agree or are listening.

What about Jawohl (yah-VOHL)? It's a strong, emphatic yes that many people know from the military, where it works like "yes, sir". Today people mostly use it for emphasis or as a joke: Jawohl, Chef! (Yes, boss!) In an everyday chat, a plain Ja or Klar sounds more natural.

Agreeing: Genau, Stimmt, Klar and More

German	English	Typical use
Genau (guh-NOW)	Exactly, right	Confirming what someone said; Germans use it constantly
Stimmt (SHTIMT)	True, that's right	Agreeing with a fact or a point
Richtig	Right, correct	Confirming that something is correct
Klar / Na klar	Sure, of course	Casual "obviously yes"
Sicher / Aber sicher	Sure, certainly	Friendly agreement
Natürlich	Of course	Neutral, fine in formal situations
Auf jeden Fall	Definitely	Strong agreement
Gerne / Gern	Gladly, I'd love to	Accepting offers, invitations and requests
Einverstanden	Agreed, deal	Accepting a plan or suggestion
Alles klar	All right, got it	Showing you understood
In Ordnung	All right, fine	Neutral, also at work
Okay / OK	Okay	Everywhere, just like in English

Wir treffen uns um acht, oder? Genau. (We're meeting at eight, right? Exactly.)
Kannst du mir kurz helfen? Klar! (Can you help me for a second? Sure!)
Möchtest du einen Tee? Gerne! (Would you like a tea? I'd love one!)
Ich zahle heute und du nächstes Mal, okay? Einverstanden! (I'll pay today and you next time, okay? Deal!)

Gern and gerne mean exactly the same. Each of these has its own page with audio: genau, Na klar, natürlich and Auf jeden Fall. To say "I agree" in a full sentence, use Ich stimme zu or Da hast du recht. (You're right about that.)

Enthusiastic Yes

Sehr gern! (I'd love to!)
Unbedingt! (Absolutely!)
Auf jeden Fall! (Definitely!)
Na logo! (Sure thing!) Colloquial and a little playful.

Hast du Lust auf Kino? Unbedingt! (Do you feel like going to the movies? Absolutely!)

Polite and Formal Yes

With people you call Sie, at work or in a shop, a yes usually comes with a little extra:

Ja, gerne. (Yes, gladly.)
Ja, natürlich. (Yes, of course.)
Selbstverständlich. (Certainly.) Very polite; you'll hear it a lot in customer service.

Können Sie mir die Rechnung per E-Mail schicken? Ja, selbstverständlich. (Could you send me the invoice by email? Yes, of course.)

For more on sounding friendly and respectful, see how to be polite in German.

Jein: Yes and No

Jein (YINE) blends ja and nein. It's informal, very common, and almost always followed by an explanation:

Hat dir der Film gefallen? Jein. Die Geschichte war gut, aber er war zu lang. (Did you like the movie? Yes and no. The story was good, but it was too long.)

Other Ways to Say No in German

Casual No: Nee and Nö

Nee (NAY): the everyday spoken "nah". Nee, lass mal. (Nah, I'm good.)
Nö (say "nay" with rounded lips): "nope". Depending on your tone, it sounds playful or a bit curt. Nö, keine Lust. (Nope, I don't feel like it.)

Both are fine with friends, family and colleagues you know well, in speech and in casual texts. Don't confuse nee with ne? at the end of a sentence, which means "right?": Das ist gut, ne? (That's good, isn't it?)

Polite No

Nein, danke. (No, thank you.) The standard way to turn down an offer. Our guide to thank you in German has more ways to combine danke with a yes or a no.
Leider nicht. (Unfortunately not.) Hast du am Wochenende Zeit? Leider nicht. (Are you free this weekend? Unfortunately not.)
Danke, aber ich kann leider nicht. (Thanks, but I can't, unfortunately.)
Lieber nicht. (Better not.) Noch ein Bier? Lieber nicht, ich muss noch fahren. (Another beer? Better not, I still have to drive.)

Soft or Unsure No

Eher nicht. (Probably not.)
Nicht wirklich. (Not really.)
Ich glaube nicht. (I don't think so.)

And when the answer isn't yes or no because you simply don't know, say Keine Ahnung (No idea) or Ich weiß nicht. (I don't know.)

Strong No

Auf keinen Fall! (No way! Definitely not!) The opposite of auf jeden Fall.
Gar nicht. or Überhaupt nicht. (Not at all.) Störe ich? Nein, gar nicht! (Am I disturbing you? No, not at all!)
Kommt nicht in Frage! (Out of the question!)
Nie im Leben! (Not in a million years!) Casual.

How to Say No Politely in Germany

A short, clear Nein, danke. is completely normal in Germany and not rude. You don't need a long excuse; a friendly tone does the work. A few things help:

Add leider (unfortunately) to sound warmer: Das geht leider nicht. (I'm afraid that won't work.)
Offer an alternative: Heute kann ich leider nicht, aber vielleicht nächste Woche? (I can't today, unfortunately, but maybe next week?)
Don't say no to be polite if you actually mean yes. If you turn down a second helping, your host may simply believe you and not offer again.
Be careful with a plain Danke. As an answer to an offer, it's often understood as "No, thanks". To accept, say Ja, bitte or Ja, gerne.

Body language works as in English: nodding means yes, shaking your head means no.

Nein vs Nicht vs Kein

English uses "no" in many places where German needs a different word. Nein stands on its own, as an answer or a reaction. Inside a sentence, you need nicht or kein:

Word	Meaning	Example
nein	no (as an answer)	Nein, ich komme nicht. (No, I'm not coming.)
nicht	not	Ich bin nicht müde. (I'm not tired.)
kein	no, not a, not any (before nouns)	Ich habe kein Auto. (I don't have a car.)

That's why many English "no + noun" phrases use kein in German: Kein Problem (No problem), Keine Ahnung (No idea) and Keine Zeit (No time). For the full rules and where nicht goes in a sentence, read nicht vs kein.

Answering Negative Questions: Ja, Nein or Doch?

After a negative question (one with nicht or kein), answer doch if the positive is true and nein if the negative is true. A plain ja is unclear here, so avoid it.

Question	Answer: yes, I am / do	Answer: no, I'm not / don't
Hast du keinen Hunger? (Aren't you hungry?)	Doch, ich habe Hunger.	Nein, ich habe keinen Hunger.
Kommst du nicht mit? (Aren't you coming along?)	Doch, ich komme mit.	Nein, ich komme nicht mit.
Bist du nicht müde? (Aren't you tired?)	Doch, ich bin müde.	Nein, ich bin nicht müde.
Hast du die E-Mail nicht bekommen? (Didn't you get the email?)	Doch, ich habe sie bekommen.	Nein, ich habe sie nicht bekommen.

Compare a normal question: Hast du Hunger? Ja, ich habe Hunger. (Are you hungry? Yes, I am.) Here doch would be wrong, because there's nothing negative to contradict.

Doch works the same way after negative statements: Du magst keinen Kaffee. Doch! (You don't like coffee. Yes, I do!)

Short Answers That Sound Native

Ja, gern. (Yes, I'd like that.)
Ja, klar. (Yes, sure.)
Nein, leider nicht. (No, unfortunately not.)
Ich glaube schon. (I think so.)
Ich glaube nicht. (I don't think so.)
Kann sein. (Could be.)
Vielleicht. (Maybe.)
Mal sehen. (We'll see.)
Wahrscheinlich. (Probably.)

One more native touch: a single Schon works as a hesitant "well, yes", usually followed by aber: Ist die Wohnung teuer? Schon, aber sie ist sehr schön. (Is the apartment expensive? Well, yes, but it's very nice.)

Common Mistakes

Answering Ja to a Negative Question

Wrong: Hast du keinen Hunger? Ja! (when you mean "yes, I'm hungry") Right: Doch, ich habe Hunger!

Using Nein Inside a Sentence

Wrong: Ich habe nein Zeit. Right: Ich habe keine Zeit. (I don't have time.)

Wrong: Ich bin nein müde. Right: Ich bin nicht müde. (I'm not tired.)

Saying Danke When You Mean "Yes, Please"

Wrong: Noch einen Kaffee? Danke! (when you want one) Right: Ja, bitte! or Ja, gerne!

Using Jawohl in a Casual Chat

Sounds odd: Willst du ein Stück Pizza? Jawohl. Natural: Ja, gern! or Klar!

It isn't wrong, but it sounds like you're answering an officer, so friends will hear it as a joke.

Writing Nee or Nö in Formal Messages

Wrong (email to a landlord): Nee, Dienstag passt mir nicht. Right: Dienstag passt mir leider nicht. (Unfortunately, Tuesday doesn't work for me.)

Practice

Try these, then check the answers below:

A friend asks: Hast du keine Lust? You do want to come. Answer in one word.
A waiter asks: Möchten Sie noch etwas? You don't want anything else. Answer politely.
Fix the sentence: Ich habe nein Geld.
Accept this invitation with enthusiasm: Kommst du am Samstag zu meiner Party?
A colleague says: Die Besprechung ist um zehn, oder? Confirm that it's right.
Say "I don't think so" in German.

Answers: 1. Doch! 2. Nein, danke. 3. Ich habe kein Geld. 4. Unbedingt! or Ja, sehr gern! 5. Genau. or Stimmt. 6. Ich glaube nicht.

Keep going: learn more survival answers in our essential German phrases for beginners, and test yourself with the A1 German quiz.

FAQ

How do you say yes in German?

Ja (YAH). To agree with something, Germans also say genau, klar or stimmt, and to accept an offer, gerne. After a negative question, "yes" is doch.

How do you say no in German?

Nein (NINE). In casual speech you'll also hear nee and nö. Inside a sentence, English "no" or "not" becomes nicht or kein: Ich habe keine Zeit. (I have no time.)

What does doch mean in German?

As an answer, doch is a "yes" that contradicts a negative question or statement: Du kommst nicht, oder? Doch! (You're not coming, are you? Yes, I am!) In a sentence, it can also mean "but" or add emphasis.

Is "nee" rude in German?

No. Nee is simply informal, like "nah" in English, and very common in speech. In formal situations and formal writing, use nein.

What does "jein" mean?

Jein is a mix of ja and nein and means "yes and no". It's informal, and you usually explain right after it.

How do you say "no thank you" in German?

Nein, danke. It's polite in every situation. For a warmer version, say Nein, vielen Dank. To turn down an invitation, try Danke, aber ich kann leider nicht.