German Phrase
Füll die Kiste nicht zu voll und nicht zu leer.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone not to overfill the box and also not to leave it almost empty – essentially, fill it just right. It’s a typical instruction that stresses a balanced amount.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving a practical instruction, for example in a kitchen, workshop, or during packing. It’s common in everyday German when you want someone to avoid extremes.
✦Grammar Breakdown
FülldieKistenichtzuvollundnichtzuleer.
Imperativ (2. Person Singular)
‘Füll’ is the imperative form of ‘füllen’ used for giving a direct command to ‘du’ (you).
Negation with ‘nicht’
‘nicht’ negates the following degree phrase ‘zu voll’ or ‘zu leer’; it must stand directly before the phrase it negates.
‘zu’ + adjective for degree
‘zu’ expresses ‘too’ (excessively) when combined with an adjective: ‘zu voll’ = ‘too full’, ‘zu leer’ = ‘too empty’.
Accusative object
‘die Kiste’ is the accusative object of the verb ‘füllen’.
Coordinating conjunction ‘und’
‘und’ links the two parallel negative clauses, keeping the structure symmetrical.
🗨In Conversation
Füll die Kiste nicht zu voll und nicht zu leer.
Don’t fill the box too full and don’t leave it too empty.
Alles klar, ich nehme gerade genug ein.
Got it, I’ll take just the right amount.
✕Common Mistakes
Füll die Kiste zu voll und zu leer.
Missing ‘nicht’ removes the negation, turning the sentence into a contradictory statement.
Füll die Kiste nicht zu voll, aber nicht zu leer.
Using ‘aber’ changes the logical balance; the original uses ‘und’ to stress both negatives together.
Füll die Kiste nicht zu voll und nicht zu leer
Leaving out the final period is a minor punctuation error; in written German the sentence should end with a period.
Füll die Kiste nicht zu voll und nicht zu leerer.
‘Leer’ is an adjective, not a noun; it does not take the comparative ending ‘-er’ here.
↔Alternatives
Fülle die Kiste nicht zu voll, und nicht zu leer.
Don’t fill the box too full, and not too empty.
Fülle die Kiste nicht zu sehr, und nicht zu wenig.
Don’t fill the box too much, and not too little.
Lass die Kiste nicht zu voll und nicht zu leer sein.
Don’t let the box be too full or too empty.
Cultural Tip
German instructions often use the ‘nicht zu + adjective’ pattern to indicate a moderate, balanced amount. The phrasing sounds very matter‑of‑fact and is typical in workplaces or household chores where precision matters. Avoid overly polite forms here; the imperative is perfectly acceptable in informal contexts.