You form negative commands by placing ne before the verb and the negative word (usually pas) after it. The verb stays in the imperative form, and you do not use subject pronouns.
Conjugation Rules
- Put ne before the verb and the negative word (usually pas) after the verb.
- Use the verb’s imperative form (tu, nous, or vous).
- Omit pronouns (tu, nous, vous).
- For -er verbs in the tu form, do not drop the final -s in negative commands (e.g., Ne parle pas).
Don’t wash yourself!
Ne te lave pas ! (tu, se laver)
For reflexive verbs, place the reflexive pronoun (te) before the verb. Use the imperative 'lave' for tu, then add 'ne' before and 'pas' after to form 'Ne te lave pas !'. No subject pronoun is used.
Examples
Regular -er Verbs (parler)
| French Singular | English Singular | French Plural | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne parle pas ! | Don’t speak! | Ne parlez pas ! | Don’t speak! |
Regular -ir Verbs (finir)
| French Singular | English Singular | French Plural | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne finis pas ! | Don’t finish! | Ne finissez pas ! | Don’t finish! |
Regular -re Verbs (vendre)
| French Singular | English Singular | French Plural | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne vends pas ! | Don’t sell! | Ne vendez pas ! | Don’t sell! |
Reflexive Verbs (se laver)
| French Singular | English Singular | French Plural | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne te lave pas ! | Don’t wash yourself! | Ne vous lavez pas ! | Don’t wash yourselves! |
Irregular Verbs
| French (Singular) | English | French (Plural) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne sois pas en retard ! | Don’t be late! | Ne soyez pas en retard ! | Don’t be late! |
| Ne fais pas ça ! | Don’t do that! | Ne faites pas ça ! | Don’t do that! |
| N’aie pas peur ! | Don’t be afraid! | N’ayez pas peur ! | Don’t be afraid! |
| Ne va pas là-bas ! | Don’t go there! | N’allez pas là-bas ! | Don’t go there! |
Don’t speak! (vous, parler)
Ne parlez pas !
Use the imperative form 'parlez' for vous, then place 'ne' before the verb and 'pas' after to form 'Ne parlez pas !'. No pronoun is used in commands.
Other Negative Words
You can replace pas with other negative words in the same pattern:
| Negative Word | Meaning | French Singular | French Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| jamais | never | Ne parle jamais ! | Ne parlez jamais ! |
| plus | no longer | Ne mange plus ! | Ne mangez plus ! |
| rien | nothing | Ne dis rien ! | Ne dites rien ! |
| personne | no one (used after the past participle) | N’ai vu personne ! | N’ayez vu personne ! |
Summary
- Use the imperative form of the verb.
- Surround the verb with ne ... pas (or other negative words).
- For -er verbs in the tu form, keep the -s in negative commands.
- Place pronouns before the verb in reflexive and object pronouns.
- No subject pronouns are used in commands.
Happy commanding — negatively!
Flashcards (1 of 12)
- English Singular: Don’t speak!
- English Plural: Don’t speak!
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
