In French, the simplest and most common way to form a negation is to sandwich the conjugated verb between ne and pas. This construction turns a positive sentence into a negative one, with ne...pas meaning "not."
- ne...pas → "not"; used to make verbs negative
- The verb must be conjugated for the subject
- ne goes before the verb; pas goes after
Positive to Negative
| Subject | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Je | Je parle. | Je ne parle pas. (I do not speak.) |
| Tu | Tu manges. | Tu ne manges pas. (You do not eat.) |
| Il/Elle | Il arrive. | Il n'arrive pas. (He does not arrive.) |
| Nous | Nous dormons. | Nous ne dormons pas. (We do not sleep.) |
| Vous | Vous travaillez. | Vous ne travaillez pas. (You do not work.) |
| Ils/Elles | Ils chantent. | Ils ne chantent pas. (They do not sing.) |
Note: When the verb starts with a vowel or silent 'h', ne becomes n' for euphony (e.g., Il n'aime pas).
French simple negation is formed with 'ne ... pas' around the verb.
'ne' is placed before the conjugated verb and 'pas' after it.
'ne ... pas' means 'not' and is used for negation.
Only 'Je ne parle pas.' and 'Nous ne parlons pas.' are correct.
Before a vowel, 'ne' becomes 'n'' for easier pronunciation.
Conclusion
French simple negations use ne...pas to enclose the conjugated verb, turning positives into negatives.
- The formula is: Subject + ne + (conjugated verb) + pas
- ne becomes n' before vowel sounds
- This is the foundational way to express "not" in French verbs
For smooth pronunciation, 'ne' becomes 'n'' before vowel sounds.
The common negation structure is 'ne ... pas'.