Practice FrenchA1
Negation with ne...pas
To make a sentence negative, French wraps the verb in two words: ne before the verb and pas after it. English just adds "not" or "don't" — French needs both halves.
The rule
ne + verb + pas
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| Je mange. | Je ne mange pas. |
| Tu parles anglais. | Tu ne parles pas anglais. |
Key points
- ne becomes n' before a vowel or silent h: Elle n'aime pas le café.
- Both halves hug the conjugated verb; nothing else slips between them in simple tenses.
- After a negative, un/une/du/des usually become de: J'ai un chat → Je n'ai pas de chat.
Watch out
- ❌ Je mange pas (in writing) → ✅ Je ne mange pas
- ❌ Elle ne aime pas → ✅ Elle n'aime pas
In context
- Je ne mange pas de viande. — I don't eat meat.
- Il ne parle pas français. — He doesn't speak French.
- Nous n'attendons pas le bus. — We're not waiting for the bus.
- Elle n'aime pas le chocolat. — She doesn't like chocolate.
Spoken French
In casual speech the ne is often dropped — je sais pas — but always write both halves.
Try three examples
Example 1
Which word completes the sentence correctly?
Il ne boit pas ___eau.
- d'
- de
- une
- la
Show answer
d'
He doesn’t drink water.
Example 2
Before attendons, ne contracts:
Nous n’attendons ___ le bus.
Show answer
pas
We are not waiting for the bus.
Example 3
After a negative, une changes to de: "Je mange une pomme." →
Je ne mange ___ de pomme.
Show answer
pas
I do not eat an apple.
Practice this lesson
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