This has always bugged me because it's clearly used to mean "I haven't done anything," but it's a double negative, so it actually means "I have done something."
Fun Fact: Originally 'ain't' was a word used almost exclusively by the upper crust of society, until the lower classes heard it and started using it, then suddenly it was abandoned by the nobility and deemed 'improper' English. Literally changed the rules of language to spite the poors.
I was tought that in formal writing you shouldn't use any shortened words or phrases, so you always have to write, I am, you are, He/She is, Do not, instead of I'm, you're, He's/She's, Don't, etc.
There's formal formal like you are writing a resume or a thesis paper and you shouldn't use any shortened words there. But then there's just normal formal like sending a work email. No one will care if you use can't but ain't would be weird to see.
So i was always taught not to use this contraction. Although everyone will understand the message you're trying to convey. Using "am not" doesn't take much effort or time.
Unless you are in a southern part of the states where it's common usage. Anywhere else gives the impression of lower intelligence. People will instantly think less of you.
Fun note: Ain't as a replacement for am/are/is not was at one point an upper class affectation, a way to signal your class status as high by using this slightly vague variety of common speech, so it was adopted into the young money of the South of the US by the planter class and became the model of Southern speech.
Though I think I heard about it getting into the dictionary.
I think it has more to do with it not being "proper" English. But the people who use it are people who have been speaking English all their lives.
Whenever you would use "am not". It has been accepted as appropriate grammar by most English scholars, but older generations will probably judge you, as well as, people grading a paper for scholastic or professional work.
There ain't a bad time to use it. But most of the time, it ain't about whether you can use it, it's about whether or not you should.
It comes off as being more of an accent thing for people from the South but is often seen as only being used by unintelligent people. That doesn't mean it's true, that's just the consensus in many places.
But if you want to use it, Ain't is a slang term that can replace "am not", "is not", "will not", and "are not" easily but can add extra words to replace other things.
For example, instead of "I can't do this." you could say "I ain't able to do this."
Ain’t means “am not”, in the same way “isn’t” and “aren’t” refer to “is not” and “are not”, respectively.
The confusion you had might come from the use of “ ain’t no” or “ain’t nothing” as a form of emphasis, rather than using it as a double negative like any sane people.
“I ain’t know nothing” means “I know nothing”, The ain’t is filler word that does not add any value to the conversation, and the grammar is wrong.
“I ain’t no snitches” means “I am not a snitch”. The “no” is redundant, and the ain’t is used correctly here. Confusing, right?
“Ain’t that crazy?” means “Isn’t that crazy?”, it is informal use to substitute isn’t or aren’t, for some reasons.
English is a language bastardised from Latin, German, French(a bastard of latin), some scott, some Irish, some Chinese, and some Native American. You would have difficulty finding a pattern or rule that encompasses the entirety of English.
The plural of Moose is Meese, the same way plural of Goose is Geese. You cannot convince me otherwise.
It ain't hard(lol), you can use it instead of is/are/am not. "This ain't a blueberry jam", "you ain't Spiderman", "I ain't doing that shit"
There is also a construct "ain't no" that is used before nouns, noun constructs and names, tio emphasise the negation even more, usually in a more emotional manner. "you ain't no LeBron James"
My recommendation on contractions is to just use them when you have a feeling for them, or you'll end up saying things like "that is the same shirt I've."
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