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<div class="pg_page_title">French Grammar - Negation</div>
<div class="pg_page_title">French Grammar - Negation</div>
Hi French learners!😊<br>Learning [https://polyglotclub.com/language/french French] Grammar can be a challenge, but with the right approach and practice, you can master it in no time. In this lesson, we will focus on negation in French. __TOC__


== What is Negation? ==
__TOC__
Negation is the process of expressing the opposite of a statement or idea. In French, there are two main ways to express negation: ne...pas and ne...jamais.


=== Ne...Pas ===
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/french French] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we will learn how to form negations in French. Negating a sentence means expressing the opposite or the absence of something. To do this, we need to use negation words such as "ne...pas" (not) or "ne...jamais" (never). <span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: [[Language/French/Grammar/Possessive-determiners|Possessive determiners]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Omission-of-the-article|Omission of the article]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Active-Voice-and-Passive-Voice|Active Voice and Passive Voice]] & [[Language/French/Grammar/Conjugation-group-3|Conjugation group 3]].</span>
The most common way to express negation in French is to use the phrase ''ne...pas''. This phrase is used to express a negative action or state. For example:
== Basic Negation ==


* Je ne mange pas de légumes. (I don't eat vegetables.)
The most common negation word in French is "ne...pas". It is formed by placing "ne" before the verb and "pas" after the verb. For example:
* Elle ne parle pas français. (She doesn't speak French.)


When using ''ne...pas'', the verb must be conjugated in the present tense.  
{| class="wikitable"
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Je ne parle pas français. || ʒə nə paʁl pɑ fʁɑ̃sɛ || I don't speak French.
|}


=== Ne...Jamais ===
As you can see in the example above, when "ne...pas" is used, "ne" precedes the verb and "pas" follows it.
The phrase ''ne...jamais'' is used to express a negative action that has never happened or will never happen. For example:


* Je ne mange jamais de légumes. (I never eat vegetables.)
We can also use "ne...personne" (nobody) to negate a sentence. In this case, the verb comes between "ne" and "personne". For example:
* Elle ne parle jamais français. (She never speaks French.)


When using ''ne...jamais'', the verb must be conjugated in the present tense.  
{| class="wikitable"
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Je ne vois personne. || ʒə nə vwa pɛʁsɔn || I don't see anybody.
|}


== Double Negation ==
== Double Negation ==
In French, double negation is used to express a positive action or state. For example:


* Je n'ai pas de chien. (I don't have a dog.)  
In French, it is possible to use double negation to reinforce the negation. For this, we can use negation words such as "ne...jamais" (never), "ne...plus" (no longer) or "ne...rien" (nothing).
* Elle n'a pas de chat. (She doesn't have a cat.)


When using double negation, the verb must be conjugated in the present tense.
For example:


== Practice ==
{| class="wikitable"
Now that you know the basics of negation in French, it's time to practice! Here are some sentences for you to practice with:
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Je ne mange jamais de viande. || ʒə nə mɑ̃ʒ ʒamɛ də vjɑ̃d || I never eat meat.
|}


* Je ne bois pas de café.  
In this case, "ne...jamais" is used to reinforce the negation.
* Elle ne mange pas de fruits.  
* Il ne parle jamais anglais.
* Nous n'avons pas de voiture.  


If you want to learn more about French grammar, check out our other lessons on the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=42 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/french/question questions]!
== Irregular Negation ==
 
Some verbs have irregular negations. For example, the verb "être" (to be) has the negation "ne...pas" in the present tense, but its negation in the past tense is "ne...pas été". For example:
 
{| class="wikitable"
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Je n'ai pas été à Paris. || ʒə ne pa ete a paʁi || I haven't been to Paris.
|}
 
== Negation with Infinitives ==
 
We can also use negation words with infinitives. In this case, the negation word "ne" is placed before the infinitive and "pas" is placed after the infinitive. For example:
 
{| class="wikitable"
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Je ne vais pas parler français. || ʒə nə ve pa paʁle fʁɑ̃sɛ || I'm not going to speak French.
|}
 
== Dialogue ==
 
* Person 1: Je ne sais pas quoi faire. (I don't know what to do.)
* Person 2: Pourquoi ne demandes-tu pas de l'aide à tes amis ? (Why don't you ask your friends for help?)
* Person 1: Je ne veux pas les déranger. (I don't want to bother them.)
* Person 2: Ne t'inquiète pas, ils seront contents de t'aider. (Don't worry, they will be happy to help you.)
 
== Interesting Facts ==
 
In French, some expressions are always negated, even if they express a positive idea. For example: "ne...pas de problème" ("no problem"). In spoken French, it is common to omit the word "ne" in negations. For example: "Je sais pas" instead of "Je ne sais pas" (I don't know). The use of double negation is not only permitted in French, but it is also considered correct and elegant.
 
== Practice Exercise ==
 
Translate the following sentences into French:
 
1. I don't want to go to school today.
 
2. She never eats vegetables.
 
3. We haven't seen the movie yet.
 
4. They don't have any money.
 
5. He no longer lives in Paris.
 
== Resources ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_verbs French verbs]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_grammar French Grammar]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negation_in_French French Negation]


<hr>If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
<hr>If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


{{French-Page-Bottom}}
{{#seo:
|title=French Grammar - Negation
|keywords=French grammar, French language, negation in French, French negation, French double negation, French infinitives
|description=In this French Grammar lesson, you will learn how to form negations in French. Negating a sentence means expressing the opposite or the absence of something. We will explore basic negation, double negation, irregular negation, negation with infinitives, and more.
}}
 
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Ordinal-numbers-as-fractions|Ordinal numbers as fractions]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Choosing-between-il-est-and-c'est|Choosing between il est and c'est]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Differences-in-the-use-of-numbers-in-French-and-English-Dates|Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Dates]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Subject-verb-agreement-—-Verb-agreement-with-collective-noun-subjects|Subject verb agreement — Verb agreement with collective noun subjects]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Intransitive-verbs-and-auxiliary-«-avoir-»|Intransitive verbs and auxiliary « avoir »]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Measurements-and-comparisons-in-French-—-Numeral-nouns-and-approximations|Measurements and comparisons in French — Numeral nouns and approximations]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Transitive-and-Intransitive-Verbs|Transitive and Intransitive Verbs]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Adverbs|Adverbs]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Number-differences-between-French-and-English-nouns|Number differences between French and English nouns]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Adjective—adjective-compounds|Adjective—adjective compounds]]


==Videos==
==Videos==


===The French Negation Ne .. pas, and more! // French Grammar Course // Lesson 12 🇫🇷===
===The French Negation Ne .. pas, and more! // French Grammar ...===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ZnnWck0Zk</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ZnnWck0Zk</youtube>


===Practise your French negations===
===French Lesson 55 - Learn French Negation - La négation - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqig7SHx-Iw</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkKu6RsFyTk</youtube>


===Simple Negations - part 1 (French Essentials Lesson 13)===
===The complete guide of French negation - Part 2 - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwIZHmbiMIE</youtube>
 
===Simple Negations - part 1 (French Essentials Lesson 13) - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rymbg3PnyL0</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rymbg3PnyL0</youtube>


===Negation in #french made easy! 😎===
===The complete guide of French negation - Part 1 - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2-vdeDle8</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyiy7nKnQ4Y</youtube>
 
<span class='maj'></span>
==Sources==
* [https://www.frenchlearner.com/grammar/negation/ 15 French Negation Rules | FrenchLearner]
* [https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-grammar/french-negative/ 12 Points To Master French Negative]
 
{{French-Page-Bottom}}
 
{{French-0-to-A1-Course-TOC}}
 
[[Category:Course]]
[[Category:French-Course]]
[[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]
[[Category:French-0-to-A1-Course]]
 
<span class='maj'></span>
==Sources==
* [https://www.frenchlearner.com/grammar/negation/ 15 French Negation Rules | FrenchLearner]
* [https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-grammar/french-negative/ 12 Points To Master French Negative]
 
{{French-Page-Bottom}}
{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
 
|[[Language/French/Grammar/Formation-and-Use-of-Adverbs|◀️ Formation and Use of Adverbs — Previous Lesson]]
|[[Language/French/Grammar/Interrogation|Next Lesson — Interrogation ▶️]]
|}
</span>

Latest revision as of 11:55, 8 September 2024

◀️ Formation and Use of Adverbs — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Interrogation ▶️

French-Language-PolyglotClub.png
French Grammar - Negation

Hi French learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to form negations in French. Negating a sentence means expressing the opposite or the absence of something. To do this, we need to use negation words such as "ne...pas" (not) or "ne...jamais" (never). Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, Active Voice and Passive Voice & Conjugation group 3.

Basic Negation[edit | edit source]

The most common negation word in French is "ne...pas". It is formed by placing "ne" before the verb and "pas" after the verb. For example:

French Pronunciation English
Je ne parle pas français. ʒə nə paʁl pɑ fʁɑ̃sɛ I don't speak French.

As you can see in the example above, when "ne...pas" is used, "ne" precedes the verb and "pas" follows it.

We can also use "ne...personne" (nobody) to negate a sentence. In this case, the verb comes between "ne" and "personne". For example:

French Pronunciation English
Je ne vois personne. ʒə nə vwa pɛʁsɔn I don't see anybody.

Double Negation[edit | edit source]

In French, it is possible to use double negation to reinforce the negation. For this, we can use negation words such as "ne...jamais" (never), "ne...plus" (no longer) or "ne...rien" (nothing).

For example:

French Pronunciation English
Je ne mange jamais de viande. ʒə nə mɑ̃ʒ ʒamɛ də vjɑ̃d I never eat meat.

In this case, "ne...jamais" is used to reinforce the negation.

Irregular Negation[edit | edit source]

Some verbs have irregular negations. For example, the verb "être" (to be) has the negation "ne...pas" in the present tense, but its negation in the past tense is "ne...pas été". For example:

French Pronunciation English
Je n'ai pas été à Paris. ʒə ne pa ete a paʁi I haven't been to Paris.

Negation with Infinitives[edit | edit source]

We can also use negation words with infinitives. In this case, the negation word "ne" is placed before the infinitive and "pas" is placed after the infinitive. For example:

French Pronunciation English
Je ne vais pas parler français. ʒə nə ve pa paʁle fʁɑ̃sɛ I'm not going to speak French.

Dialogue[edit | edit source]

  • Person 1: Je ne sais pas quoi faire. (I don't know what to do.)
  • Person 2: Pourquoi ne demandes-tu pas de l'aide à tes amis ? (Why don't you ask your friends for help?)
  • Person 1: Je ne veux pas les déranger. (I don't want to bother them.)
  • Person 2: Ne t'inquiète pas, ils seront contents de t'aider. (Don't worry, they will be happy to help you.)

Interesting Facts[edit | edit source]

In French, some expressions are always negated, even if they express a positive idea. For example: "ne...pas de problème" ("no problem"). In spoken French, it is common to omit the word "ne" in negations. For example: "Je sais pas" instead of "Je ne sais pas" (I don't know). The use of double negation is not only permitted in French, but it is also considered correct and elegant.

Practice Exercise[edit | edit source]

Translate the following sentences into French:

1. I don't want to go to school today.

2. She never eats vegetables.

3. We haven't seen the movie yet.

4. They don't have any money.

5. He no longer lives in Paris.

Resources[edit | edit source]


If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Videos[edit | edit source]

The French Negation Ne .. pas, and more! // French Grammar ...[edit | edit source]

French Lesson 55 - Learn French Negation - La négation - YouTube[edit | edit source]

The complete guide of French negation - Part 2 - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Simple Negations - part 1 (French Essentials Lesson 13) - YouTube[edit | edit source]

The complete guide of French negation - Part 1 - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]


Sources[edit | edit source]


◀️ Formation and Use of Adverbs — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Interrogation ▶️