SpeeekDownload on the App Store
Back to Lost In The City

German Phrase

Ich spreche deine Sprache nicht.

/ɪç ˈʃprɛçə ˈdaɪ̯nə ˈʃpʁaːxə nɪçt/
Meaning"I don’t speak your language."
💡

Meaning

Literally, “I speak your language not.” In everyday German it means “I don’t speak your language.” The sentence is a polite way to tell someone that you cannot communicate in their native tongue.

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase when you want to let a German speaker know that you don’t understand or speak their language, for example when meeting a new person, in a shop, or during a travel situation. It’s often preceded by an apology such as Entschuldigung.

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchsprechedeineSprachenicht

1

Subject pronoun (Ich)

Ich is the first‑person singular pronoun and always takes the verb ending –e in the present tense.

2

Verb conjugation (sprechen → spreche)

Sprechen is a regular verb; in the present tense for ich the ending is –e: ich spreche.

3

Possessive adjective (deine)

Deine agrees with the feminine noun Sprache in gender, number and case (accusative).

4

Noun gender (Sprache, feminine)

Sprache is a feminine noun, so the article and possessive adjective take the feminine ending –e.

5

Negation placement (nicht)

In a simple declarative sentence, nicht is placed after the direct object (deine Sprache) to negate the whole statement.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich spreche deine Sprache nicht.

I don’t speak your language.

Kein Problem, wir können Englisch benutzen.

No problem, we can use English.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich spreche nicht deine Sprache.

    Placing nicht before the object changes the emphasis and sounds unnatural.

  • Ich spreche meine Sprache nicht.

    Using the wrong possessive (mein) changes the meaning to “my language”.

  • Ich spreche Sprache nicht.

    Dropping the article or possessive makes the sentence sound incomplete.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich verstehe deine Sprache nicht.

    I don’t understand your language.

  • Ich kann deine Sprache nicht sprechen.

    I can’t speak your language.

  • Ich spreche deine Sprache nicht gut.

    I don’t speak your language well.

de

Cultural Tip

In German it’s considered courteous to preface the statement with Entschuldigung or Es tut mir leid. Also, avoid sounding abrupt; adding a small apology softens the refusal and keeps the conversation friendly. In some regions (e.g., Austria) you might hear the more informal “Ich kann deine Sprache nicht” which is equally acceptable.