German Phrase
Nein, meistens ist es leer.
Meaning
Literally: ‘No, most of the time it is empty.’ The speaker is denying a positive expectation (e.g., that something is available) and points out that, in the majority of cases, the thing in question is empty.
When to use
Use this sentence when someone assumes a place, a schedule slot, a container, etc., is occupied or full, and you need to correct them by stating that it is usually empty.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Neinmeistensistesleer
Nein
A short, firm negation used to contradict or refuse something that has just been said.
meistens
An adverb of frequency meaning ‘most of the time’; it can be placed before the verb for emphasis.
ist
3rd‑person singular present of the verb sein (to be).
es
The impersonal dummy subject used with sein when talking about a situation or a place.
leer
Predicative adjective meaning ‘empty’; it follows sein and does not change its ending.
🗨In Conversation
Ist das Café gerade offen?
Is the café open right now?
Nein, meistens ist es leer.
No, most of the time it’s empty.
✕Common Mistakes
Nicht, meistens ist es leer.
‘Nicht’ is used to negate verbs or adjectives, not whole statements that start with ‘Nein’. The correct negation here is simply ‘Nein’.
Nein meistens ist es leer.
Learners sometimes drop the comma after ‘Nein’, which changes the rhythm of the sentence. The comma separates the interjection from the main clause.
Nein, meistens ist es frei.
‘Frei’ means ‘free/available’, not ‘empty’. Using it here would change the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Nein, es ist meistens leer.
No, it is mostly empty.
Nein, meistens ist nichts da.
No, most of the time there’s nothing there.
Nein, das ist fast immer leer.
No, that is almost always empty.
Cultural Tip
In German conversation, starting a sentence with ‘Nein’ is perfectly natural and often used to quickly dismiss a mistaken assumption. The adverb ‘meistens’ can be placed before the verb (as in the example) for a slightly stronger emphasis, but the word order ‘Es ist meistens leer’ is equally correct and a bit more neutral. Remember that ‘leer’ describes a state of emptiness, while ‘frei’ means ‘free/available’; mixing them up is a common learner error.