Negation and focus: not all, none and only
Read exactly what is excluded or restricted. Avoid turning a limited statement into a stronger claim about every person or item.
Nicht alle Anträge wurden bewilligt denies that all applications were approved: at least one was not. It does not give the number approved. In conversation, speakers often suggest that some were approved, but the wording alone does not logically guarantee that. Keine Anträge wurden bewilligt is stronger: none were approved.
Nur focuses a restriction. Nur Lena hat das Formular unterschrieben singles out Lena among the relevant people. Lena hat nur das Formular unterschrieben, nicht den Vertrag explicitly contrasts the documents. Position, stress and context help identify the focus; the first statement does not mean Lena has never done anything else.
Nicht … sondern corrects an alternative: Nicht Lena, sondern Ali hat angerufen. Keep track of whether the contrast concerns a person, object, time or reason. Do not move nicht or nur without checking whether that changes what is being rejected or restricted.
Noch nicht describes a state not yet reached; nicht mehr says a former state no longer holds. Noch nicht fertig may suggest an expectation of completion, but it does not guarantee a completion date. Precise reports separate what is stated from what a reader might infer.
| Form | Beispiel |
|---|---|
| nicht alle | Nicht alle Anträge wurden bewilligt. |
| keine | Keine Anträge wurden bewilligt. |
| Person im Fokus | Nur Lena hat das Formular unterschrieben. |
| Gegenstand im Fokus | Lena hat nur das Formular unterschrieben, nicht den Vertrag. |
Examples
Nicht alle Anträge wurden bewilligt.
Not all applications were approved.
At least one application was not approved; no exact count is given.
Keine Anträge wurden bewilligt.
No applications were approved.
Every approval in the named group is excluded.
Nur Lena hat das Formular unterschrieben.
Only Lena signed the form.
The restriction concerns who signed.
Lena hat nur das Formular unterschrieben, nicht den Vertrag.
Lena signed only the form, not the contract.
The explicit contrast concerns which document was signed.