Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Negations"
Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
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: | ||
"Ne" + "PAS" : no (generally) | ==="Ne" + "PAS" : no (generally)=== | ||
Je ne comprends pas. (I do not understand) | Je ne comprends pas. (I do not understand) | ||
"Ne" + "PLUS" : no more, anymore, no longer | ==="Ne" + "PLUS" : no more, anymore, no longer=== | ||
Nous n’avons plus de café. (we have no more coffee) | Nous n’avons plus de café. (we have no more coffee) | ||
Je ne parle plus. (I do not speak anymore) | Je ne parle plus. (I do not speak anymore) | ||
Il ne fume plus (He no longer smokes) | Il ne fume plus (He no longer smokes) | ||
"Ne" + "RIEN" : anything | ==="Ne" + "RIEN" : anything=== | ||
Je ne dis rien. (I do not say anything) | Je ne dis rien. (I do not say anything) | ||
"Ne" + "PERSONNE" : nobody, anybody | ==="Ne" + "PERSONNE" : nobody, anybody=== | ||
Il n’y a personne. There is nobody | Il n’y a personne. There is nobody | ||
Je ne vois personne. (I do not see anybody) | Je ne vois personne. (I do not see anybody) | ||
"Ne" + "JAMAIS" : never | ==="Ne" + "JAMAIS" : never=== | ||
Nous n’allons jamais à la mer. (We never go to the sea) | Nous n’allons jamais à la mer. (We never go to the sea) | ||
"Ne" + "AUCUN/E": any | ==="Ne" + "AUCUN/E": any=== | ||
Je n’ai aucune idée. (I do not have any idea) | Je n’ai aucune idée. (I do not have any idea) | ||
"Ne" + "QUE" | ==="Ne" + "QUE"=== | ||
This structure is not really a negation, but rather a restriction. It is equivalent to "only". | This structure is not really a negation, but rather a restriction. It is equivalent to "only". | ||
Je ne dors que cing heures (I only sleep 5 hours) | Je ne dors que cing heures (I only sleep 5 hours) |
Revision as of 11:02, 20 May 2016
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":
Il connaît le pays → Il ne connaît pas le pays He knows the country → He does not know the country
SUBJECT + " NE (N’)" + VERB + "PAS" + COMPLEMENT
Il ne connaît pas le pays
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 cing heures (I only sleep 5 hours) Ça ne coûte que cent euros (This costs no more than 100 euros).
==NEGATION WITH VERBS AND PRONOUNS ==.
COMPOUND 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 pas n'avez parlé in 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
VIDEOS
If you consider that this page can be improved, don't hesitate to edit it.