German Phrase
Nein, es ist der elfte September.
Meaning
The speaker is denying a previous assumption and stating the exact date: ‘No, it is the eleventh of September.’ The phrase combines a simple negation with the standard German way of expressing dates.
When to use
Use this sentence when someone has guessed or stated the wrong date, or when you need to correct a calendar‑related misunderstanding in conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nein,esistderelfteSeptember.
Negation with Nein
‘Nein’ is used to contradict or deny a statement; it stands alone before the corrected information.
Impersonal ‘es ist’
‘es ist’ introduces facts like time, dates, or weather, similar to ‘it is’ in English.
Definite article with ordinals
When an ordinal number is used to name a day, it takes the definite article that matches the gender of ‘Tag’ (masculine → der).
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding –te (‑ste after 19) to the cardinal number; ‘elf’ → ‘elfte’.
Month names
Month names are proper nouns in German and are always capitalized.
🗨In Conversation
Ist heute der zehnte September?
Is today the tenth of September?
Nein, es ist der elfte September.
No, it is the eleventh of September.
✕Common Mistakes
Nein, es ist der 11. September.
Use the written ordinal ‘elfte’ with the article, not the numeral.
Nein, es ist das elfte September.
The article must match the gender of ‘Tag’ (masculine), so ‘der’ is required.
Nein, es ist September elfte.
The ordinal must precede the month, not follow it.
Nein es ist der elfte September.
A comma (or a short pause) separates the negation from the statement.
↔Alternatives
Nein, heute ist der elfte September.
No, today is the eleventh of September.
Nein, das Datum ist der elfte September.
No, the date is the eleventh of September.
Nein, wir haben den elften September.
No, we have the eleventh of September.
Cultural Tip
In German, dates are always expressed with the definite article and the ordinal number (der elfte September). Unlike English, the month follows the day, and the day is treated as a masculine noun ‘Tag’, which is why ‘der’ is used. In spoken German the comma after ‘Nein’ is often omitted, but it is kept in writing for clarity.