German Phrase
Nicht wirklich, ich kann's auslassen.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that they are not particularly interested or convinced, and that they are able to skip or omit whatever is being offered. It carries a polite but firm tone.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to decline an invitation, a suggestion, or a step in a process without sounding rude—e.g., skipping a dessert, a optional activity, or a part of a lesson.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nichtwirklich,ichkann'sauslassen.
Negation with 'nicht'
'Nicht' negates the following adjective or adverb; here it modifies 'wirklich' to mean 'not really'.
Adverbial phrase 'wirklich'
'Wirklich' means 'really' or 'truly' and is often used after 'nicht' to soften a statement.
Contraction 'kann's'
The pronoun 'es' can be contracted to 's after a modal verb, giving 'kann's' (= 'kann es').
Verb 'auslassen'
'Auslassen' is a separable verb; in the infinitive it appears at the end of the clause, meaning 'to skip' or 'to omit'.
Modal verb construction
With modal verbs like 'kann', the main verb stays in infinitive form and moves to the sentence end.
🗨In Conversation
Möchtest du das Dessert probieren?
Would you like to try the dessert?
Nicht wirklich, ich kann's auslassen.
Not really, I can skip it.
✕Common Mistakes
Nicht wirklich ich kann auslassen.
Missing the comma and the contraction makes the sentence sound abrupt.
Ich kann's auslassen nicht wirklich.
The negation belongs to 'wirklich', not to the whole sentence; keep the order as in the model.
Ich kann es auslassen nicht wirklich.
When using the full form, keep the negation before 'wirklich', not at the end.
↔Alternatives
Nein, danke, ich lasse das lieber weg.
No, thanks, I'd rather leave that out.
Eigentlich nicht, ich verzichte darauf.
Actually, no, I’ll pass on it.
Ich habe keinen Bedarf, ich lasse es aus.
I don’t need it, I’ll leave it out.
Cultural Tip
German speakers appreciate directness combined with courtesy. Saying "Nicht wirklich, ich kann's auslassen" is a polite way to decline without over‑explaining. In formal settings you might replace the contraction with the full form "ich kann es auslassen" for a slightly more formal tone.