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German Phrase

Nein, ich schaffe es nicht.

/naɪ̯n ɪç ˈʃa.fə ɛs nɪçt/
Meaning"No, I can’t do it."
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Meaning

Literally, ‘No, I don’t manage it.’ In everyday German it means ‘No, I can’t do it’ or ‘I’m not able to manage that.’ The sentence conveys a clear, polite refusal or admission of inability.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to decline a request, admit that a task is beyond your capacity, or simply answer a yes‑or‑no question with a negative, more detailed response.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Neinichschaffeesnicht

1

Negation particle – Nein

‘Nein’ is the standard word for ‘no’ and is placed at the beginning of a negative response.

2

Personal pronoun – ich

‘ich’ is the first‑person singular pronoun, always in the nominative case.

3

Verb – schaffen (present, 1st person)

‘schaffen’ means ‘to manage / to accomplish’. In the present tense, 1st person singular is ‘schaffe’.

4

Object pronoun – es

‘es’ is a neutral pronoun that refers to the task, situation or object previously mentioned.

5

Negation adverb – nicht

‘nicht’ negates the whole clause and is placed after the object pronoun (or at the end of the sentence).

🗨In Conversation

A

Kannst du das Projekt bis morgen fertigstellen?

Can you finish the project by tomorrow?

Nein, ich schaffe es nicht.

No, I can’t do it.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Nein, ich nicht schaffe es.

    ‘nicht’ must follow the object pronoun, not precede the verb.

  • Nein, ich schaffe kein.

    ‘kein’ is used with nouns, not with verbs or pronouns.

  • Nein, ich schaffe nicht es.

    The correct order is ‘es nicht’, not ‘nicht es’.

↔Alternatives

  • Nein, ich kann es nicht.

    No, I can’t do it.

  • Leider schaffe ich es nicht.

    Unfortunately I can’t manage it.

  • Ich schaffe das leider nicht.

    I’m sorry, I can’t manage that.

de

Cultural Tip

In German, ‘schaffen’ is often used for tasks that require effort or time, similar to ‘manage’ in English. Placing ‘nicht’ after the object pronoun (es) is the standard word order for negating a whole clause. In formal contexts you might soften the refusal with ‘leider’ (unfortunately) or ‘ich fürchte, …’. Avoid using ‘nicht’ before the verb – that would sound ungrammatical.