Saying no
ne … pas, and never, nothing, nobody, no longer.
To make a verb negative, put ne before it and pas after it. ne becomes n' before a vowel.
- I don't speak German.
- He doesn't like cheese.
In the passé composé, ne … pas goes around avoir or être: Je n'ai pas mangé. With an infinitive, ne pas goes before it, together: Je préfère ne pas répondre. Object pronouns stay inside: Je ne le vois pas.
Other negations
| Meaning | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| ne … jamais | never | Je ne bois jamais de café. |
| ne … plus | no longer, no more | Il n'habite plus ici. |
| ne … rien | nothing | Je ne vois rien. |
| ne … personne | nobody | Je ne connais personne. |
| ne … pas encore | not yet | Il n'est pas encore arrivé. |
| ne … aucun, aucune | no, not a single | Je n'ai aucune idée. |
| ne … nulle part | nowhere | Je ne le trouve nulle part. |
| ne … que | only | Je n'ai que dix euros. |
rien and personne can be the subject; they come first, with ne before the verb: Rien n'est facile, Personne ne sait. ne … que isn't a negation at all: it means "only", and the article doesn't change.
Spoken French drops ne
In everyday speech ne is usually left out: Je sais pas, C'est pas grave, J'ai rien vu. The pas or rien carries the negation. It's normal in speech; in writing, keep the ne.
Yes, no and si
non is "no", and pas stands alone for "not": pas moi "not me", pas encore "not yet", pas du tout "not at all". To answer yes to a negative question, say si: Tu ne viens pas ? — Si ! "Aren't you coming? — Yes, I am!"
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
Where do ne and pas go?
Around the conjugated verb: Je ne parle pas.
Where does pas go in the passé composé?
After avoir or être: Je n'ai pas mangé.
What do people often leave out of ne … pas when speaking?
The ne: Je sais pas.
How do you say "never"?
ne … jamais.
What does ne … plus mean?
"No longer", "not any more".
How do you say "nothing" and "nobody"?
ne … rien and ne … personne.
What does ne … que mean?
"Only".
How do you answer yes to Tu n'as pas faim ?
Si !
Where does ne pas go with an infinitive?
Together, before it: ne pas fumer.