Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Negations"
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
|||
Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
*Il connaît le pays → Il ne connaît pas le pays | *Il connaît le pays → Il ne connaît pas le pays | ||
<blockquote>He knows the country → He does not know the country</blockquote> | <blockquote>He knows the country → He does not know the country</blockquote> | ||
Following this general scheme, in French there are several kinds of denial, each with a different structure: | Following this general scheme, in French there are several kinds of denial, each with a different structure: | ||
Line 25: | Line 22: | ||
<blockquote>I do not understand</blockquote> | <blockquote>I do not understand</blockquote> | ||
==="Ne" + "PLUS" : no more, anymore, no longer=== | |||
*Nous n’avons plus de café | |||
<blockquote>we have no more coffee</blockquote> | <blockquote>we have no more coffee</blockquote> | ||
*Je ne parle plus | *Je ne parle plus | ||
<blockquote>I do not speak anymore</blockquote> | <blockquote>I do not speak anymore</blockquote> | ||
*Il ne fume plus | *Il ne fume plus | ||
<blockquote>He no longer smokes</blockquote> | <blockquote>He no longer smokes</blockquote> | ||
==="Ne" + "RIEN" : anything=== | |||
*Je ne dis rien | *Je ne dis rien | ||
<blockquote>I do not say anything</blockquote> | <blockquote>I do not say anything</blockquote> | ||
==="Ne" + "PERSONNE" : nobody, anybody=== | |||
*Il n’y a personne | *Il n’y a personne | ||
<blockquote>There is nobody</blockquote> | <blockquote>There is nobody</blockquote> | ||
*Je ne vois personne | *Je ne vois personne | ||
<blockquote>I do not see anybody</blockquote> | <blockquote>I do not see anybody</blockquote> | ||
==="Ne" + "JAMAIS" : never=== | |||
*Nous n’allons jamais à la mer | *Nous n’allons jamais à la mer | ||
<blockquote>We never go to the sea</blockquote> | <blockquote>We never go to the sea</blockquote> |
Revision as of 19:09, 8 June 2019
In this article you will discover how to form negation in French. Feel free to directly edit this page if you think it can be improved.
General Structure
In French, the general structure of Negation is simply to "encircle" the verb with two particles:
"NE" (or "N’", if the verb begins with a vowel) and "PAS":
SUBJECT + "NE (N')" + VERB + "PAS" + COMPLEMENT
- Il connaît le pays → Il ne connaît pas le pays
He knows the country → He does not know the country
Following this general scheme, in French there are several kinds of denial, each with a different structure:
"Ne" + "PAS" : no (generally)
- Je ne comprends pas.
I do not understand
"Ne" + "PLUS" : no more, anymore, no longer
- Nous n’avons plus de café
we have no more coffee
- Je ne parle plus
I do not speak anymore
- Il ne fume plus
He no longer smokes
"Ne" + "RIEN" : anything
- Je ne dis rien
I do not say anything
"Ne" + "PERSONNE" : nobody, anybody
- Il n’y a personne
There is nobody
- Je ne vois personne
I do not see anybody
"Ne" + "JAMAIS" : never
- Nous n’allons jamais à la mer
We never go to the sea
"Ne" + "AUCUN/E": any
- Je n’ai aucune idée
I do not have any idea
"Ne" + "QUE"
This structure is not really a negation, but rather a restriction. It is equivalent to "only".
- Je ne dors que cinq heures
I only sleep 5 hours
- Ça ne coûte que cent euros
This costs no more than 100 euros
Negation with verbs and pronouns
Componds verbs
When we have to use negation with a compund verb (compound means having auxiliary and participle), negation "surrounds" the auxiliary, not the participle.
- Vous avez parlé en allemand → Vous n'avez pas parlé en allemand
You have spoken in German → You have not spoken in German
- J’ai dit la vérité → Je n’ai rien dit.
I have said the truth → I have not said the truth
Thus, the structure to remember is:
SUBJECT + "NE (N’)" + AUXILIARY+ "PAS" + PARTICIPLE + COMPLEMENT
Vous + n’+ avez + pas + parlé + allemand
Negation of pronominal verbs
When we have in the phrase pronouns, we must remember the 2nd most important French rule:
"The pronoun goes before the verb, and as close to it as possible."
We will apply this rule, thinking that the first term of negation ("NE") will be first in the order of the sentence, and then go the pronoun before the verb, and then finally the "PAS".
An example with a pronominal verb, which are the ones with reflexive pronouns:
- Je m’appelle Antoine → Je ne m’appelle pas Antoine
My name is Antoine → My name is not Antoine
SUBJECT + "NE" + ("ME, TE...") + VERB + "PAS" + COMPLEMENT
- Je + ne + m’ + appelle + pas + Antoine
Examples
- Je ne veux pas partir
I don't want to leave
Ne becomes n' before a vowel.
- Il n'a pas perdu son sac
He has not lost his bag
Placing ne pas before an infinitive negates it.
- Le pire est de ne pas essayer
The worst is not to try
Spoken French
In spoken French (slang), it is common to hear "J'ai pas faim" (I'm not hungry) without the "n".
The correct written way is : "Je n'ai pas faim".
Always use the N or the NE when writing.
VIDEOS
If you consider that this page can be improved, don't hesitate to edit it.