Double negation and litotes

Litotes is a rhetorical device that makes a cautious, understated affirmation by negating the opposite. By saying something is not un- something, the speaker affirms it in a softened, often polite or formal way. This is a stylistic double negation - quite different from the ungrammatical "double negatives" of casual English.

• Das ist nicht unwichtig. - That isn't unimportant (= it is quite important).
• Das ist nicht unmöglich. - That isn't impossible (= it's quite possible).
• Er sagte es nicht ohne Stolz. - He said it not without pride (= with some pride).
• Sie ist nicht unbegabt. - She is not untalented (= rather gifted).

The effect is deliberate understatement: the affirmation sounds modest, careful or ironic, and is common in formal, polite or literary style.

Common mistakes:

• Reading litotes as a true negation - nicht unwichtig means "important", not "unimportant".
• Confusing this rhetorical device with a substandard reinforcing double negative (e.g. dialectal Ich habe nichts nicht gesehen), which is not standard German.
• Overusing litotes, which quickly sounds mannered.

Litotes affirms by negating the opposite: 'nicht unwichtig' = quite important, 'nicht ohne Stolz' = with some pride.

Litotes is a rhetorical double negation that makes a cautious, understated affirmation by negating the opposite. 'Das ist nicht unmöglich' means it is quite possible. It is common in careful, formal or polite style.

Die Litotes (doppelte Verneinung) bejaht abgeschwächt durch Verneinung des Gegenteils: 'nicht unwahrscheinlich' = ziemlich wahrscheinlich.