Auf keinen Fall
Example: Auf keinen Fall darfst du ohne Helm fahren.
Definition
"Auf keinen Fall" is a German expression used to strongly prohibit or deny something, meaning 'under no circumstances' or 'absolutely not.' It emphasizes that an action should definitely not be done, as in the phrase, 'Auf keinen Fall darfst du ohne Helm fahren,' meaning 'You must absolutely not ride without a helmet.'
Etymology
The phrase "auf keinen Fall" literally translates to 'on no case' or 'under no circumstance.' It combines 'auf' (on), 'keinen' (no), and 'Fall' (case or instance). This construction has been used in German to express absolute negation or prohibition, similar to the English 'under no circumstances.' Did you know that the word 'Fall' in German also means 'fall' or 'event,' highlighting the idea of any possible case?
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"Auf keinen Fall" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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