gar
not at all · not even
Gar is an adverb that intensifies a negation, meaning 'not at all' or 'not even'. It is used only in negative sentences to make the denial stronger.
What gar means
- not at all — Used with nicht or kein to emphasize a complete negation.
- not even — In some contexts, gar can mean 'not even', especially when combined with nicht.
Heard in real German videos
Lines where gar was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Das Auto ist doch gar kein Gemüse.The car is not a vegetable at all.
- Nein, das ist er gar nicht.No, he is not that at all.
- Sie hat gar keinen Fischfreund.She doesn't have any fish friends at all.
Example sentences
- Das ist gar nicht teuer.That is not expensive at all.
- Ich habe gar kein Geld.I have no money at all.
- Er hat gar nicht angerufen.He didn't call at all.
- Das ist gar keine schlechte Idee.That's not a bad idea at all.
Common phrases
- gar nichtnot at all
- gar keinno ... at all
- gar nichtsnothing at all
- gar niemandnobody at all
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often use gar in positive sentences to mean 'very' or 'really', but gar only works with negation. Use sehr or wirklich instead.
Don’t confuse it with
- sehr — Sehr means 'very' and is used in positive sentences, while gar is only used in negative sentences to mean 'not at all'.
Questions learners ask
What does 'gar nicht' mean?
'Gar nicht' means 'not at all' and is used to strongly negate a statement.
Can 'gar' be used without 'nicht' or 'kein'?
No, 'gar' is always used together with a negation like 'nicht' or 'kein'.
Is 'gar' the same as 'überhaupt nicht'?
They are similar, but 'gar nicht' is more common in everyday speech, while 'überhaupt nicht' can be even stronger.