Negation in French typically wraps the verb in two parts, and the exact words you use can change the nuance or include more detail. This guide covers the common negative constructions with clear examples.
Basic Negation
The standard way to make a sentence negative is to place ne before the verb and pas after it, which turns a positive statement into a straightforward denial.
Formation
To form the basic negation, put ne (or n' before a vowel or mute h) before the conjugated verb and pas immediately after it, so the sentence keeps its original order but shows denial.
Examples
I don't like chocolate.
| French Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 🐢 Je ne mange pas de salade. | I am not eating salad. | |
| 🐢 Tu ne bois pas d’eau. | You are not drinking water. | |
| 🐢 Il ne mange pas de pain. | He is not eating bread. | |
| 🐢 Nous ne mangeons pas de soupe. | We are not eating soup. | |
| 🐢 Vous ne buvez pas de jus. | You are not drinking juice. | |
| 🐢 Ils ne mangent pas de fromage. | They are not eating cheese. |
Other Negative Expressions
French has several other negative pairs that replace pas to express different kinds of negation like nothing, nobody, never, or no longer, each shaping the meaning more precisely.
personne (nobody)
Personne is used to negate people and can appear after the verb or at the end of the sentence; when it starts the sentence, ne still comes before the verb.
rien (nothing)
Rien negates things or actions and can function as the subject or object; it usually follows ne and goes after the verb when used as an object.
jamais (never)
Jamais replaces pas to indicate that something does not happen at any time; it stays in the same position after ne and before the verb.
plus (no longer)
Plus means no longer or not anymore and takes ne in front of the verb; its exact sense depends on context, sometimes relating to time or quantity.
aucun / aucune (not any)
Aucun/aucune is used to deny all of something and is placed before a noun; ne remains required, and it agrees in gender with the noun.
ni... ni... (neither... nor...)
Ni... ni... is used to negate two or more items and removes the article when connecting nouns; ne precedes the verb and the phrase links the negatives smoothly.
Special Cases
Some negative words like personne and rien can appear without ne in spoken or informal French, and when used as subjects they change sentence structure; also, certain expressions add nuance by combining negatives.
Dropping ne
In everyday speech, ne is often omitted while pas and other negative words remain, so sentences sound more natural and concise.
Negation with Infinitives
When negating an infinitive, place ne before the infinitive and the negative word like pas after it; ne is required in formal contexts but sometimes dropped in speech.
Double Negatives
French typically uses a single negative construction around the verb; placing two negatives together for emphasis is rare and can change meaning or sound ungrammatical.
Summary
Remember that negation in French usually pairs ne with a second word like pas, and swapping that word changes the type of denial; learn the common negative expressions and practice placing them around the verb to control nuance.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025