"I do not want to be your friend."
Translation:Ich will nicht dein Freund sein.
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879
Having read everything that has been written by you and others, concerning the placement of NICHT, I will be eternally grateful if someone can point me in the right direction.
So why does this one not mean "I do not want to be your friend (but I might consider someone else)"?
It can mean that.
It's about as ambiguous as the English "I do not want to be your friend" -- depending on which word you emphasise, it could mean "I do not WANT to be your friend" or "I do not want to be YOUR friend" or "I do not want to be your FRIEND" or "I do not want to be your friend" or just the unmarked "I do not want to be your friend".
879
I hope this comes across properly.The placement of nicht in a German sentence alters emphasis, whereas in English I think the only way to emphasise what I mean is if I was speaking.Are there any cast iron certainties regarding nicht.Any help appreciated.