# Negation

https://langs123.com/en/french/phrase/negation/
CEFR A0–A2 · 2026-10-24 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> A verb is negated with **ne** … **pas** around it; **jamais**, **plus**, **rien** and **personne** replace **pas**. **Ne** goes before the conjugated verb and **pas** right after it: Je **ne parle pas** anglais. Elle **n’aime pas** le café.

## Summary

| Point | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Set phrases | **ne** … **pas** around the verb | Je **ne comprends pas**. / Je **ne sais pas**. | I don't understand. / I don't know. |
| Ne … pas | **ne** before the verb, **pas** after it; **n’** before a vowel | Nous **ne mangeons pas** de viande. / Elle **n’aime pas** le thé. | We don't eat meat. / She doesn't like tea. |
| Pas de | **un**, **une**, **des**, **du**, **de la** become **de** (**d’** before a vowel) | Je n’ai **pas de** voiture. / Elle n’a pas d’amis. | I don't have a car. / She has no friends. |
| Passé composé | **ne** + auxiliary + **pas** + participle | Je **n’ai pas** mangé. | I haven't eaten. |
| Jamais, plus, rien | in place of **pas**: jamais (never), plus (no longer), rien (nothing) | Je ne bois **jamais** de café. | I never drink coffee. |
| Personne | after the verb; at the start, as the subject: **personne ne** | Je ne vois **personne**. / **Personne** ne parle. | I can't see anyone. / Nobody is speaking. |
| Answer | **si** contradicts a negative question | Tu ne viens pas ? — **Si**, je viens ! | Aren't you coming? — Yes, I am! |
| In speech | **ne** often drops | Je **sais pas**. / J’**ai pas** faim. | I don't know. / I'm not hungry. |
| Trap | **ne** … **pas** surrounds the verb | Je **ne parle pas** anglais. | I don't speak English. |
| Trap | one negative word only: no **pas** with **jamais** | Il ne dort **jamais**. | He never sleeps. |

## Overview

- Negation has two parts: **ne** before the verb and a negative word after it. Je **ne** parle **pas**. / Tu n’aimes **pas** ça. (I don't speak. / You don't like that.)
- **Pas** is never added to **jamais**, **plus**, **rien** or **personne**. Je ne mange **jamais** de viande. / Il ne dit **rien**. (I never eat meat. / He says nothing.)
- To reply to a negative sentence with “me neither” (moi non plus), see Stressed Pronouns.
- For questions, see Questions.

## Form: ne … pas

| Form | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| subject + **ne** + verb + **pas** | Je **ne parle pas** anglais. / Ils **ne travaillent pas**. | I don't speak English. / They aren't working. |
| subject + **n’** + verb + **pas** | Elle **n’aime pas** le café. / Nous **n’habitons pas** ici. | She doesn't like coffee. / We don't live here. |
| subject + **ne** + verb + **pas** + infinitive | Je **ne veux pas** partir. / Il **ne peut pas** venir. | I don't want to leave. / He can't come. |
| subject + **ne** + helper + **pas** + past participle | Je **n’ai pas** mangé. / Elle **n’est pas** venue. | I haven't eaten. / She hasn't come. |
| **ne pas** + infinitive | Je préfère **ne pas** sortir. / Il décide de **ne pas** partir. | I prefer not to go out. / He decides not to leave. |

- An object pronoun goes between **ne** and the verb: see Object Pronouns. Je **ne le** vois **pas**. / Il **ne lui** parle **pas**. (I can't see it. / He isn't talking to him.)
- In speech, **ne** often drops and **pas** stays. Je **sais pas**. / Tu **viens pas** ? (I don't know. / Aren't you coming?)

## Form: pas de

| Form | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **un** / **une** / **des** → **pas de** | Je n’ai **pas de** frère. / Elle n’a **pas de** voiture. | I don't have a brother. / She doesn't have a car. |
| **du** / **de la** / **de l’** → **pas de** | Je ne bois **pas de** café. / Il ne mange **pas de** pain. | I don't drink coffee. / He doesn't eat bread. |
| **pas d’** + noun | Elle n’a pas d’amis. / Nous n’avons pas d’enfants. | She has no friends. / We have no children. |
| **le** / **la** / **l’** / **les** / **mon** / **ma** / **mes**: unchanged | Je n’ai pas **mon** passeport. / Il n’aime pas **le** café. | I don't have my passport. / He doesn't like coffee. |
| **ce n’est pas** + **un** / **une** / **des** + noun | Ce n’est pas **un** chat. / Ce ne sont pas **des** amis. | It isn't a cat. / They aren't friends. |

- For **beaucoup de**, **un peu de** and the other quantities, see Partitives and Quantities.

## Form: jamais, plus, rien, personne

| Negation | Meaning | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **ne** + verb + **jamais** | never | Il ne dort **jamais** ici. / Je ne mange **jamais** de viande. | He never sleeps here. / I never eat meat. |
| **ne** + verb + **plus** | no longer, no more | Je n’habite **plus** à Paris. / Il n’y a **plus** de pain. | I no longer live in Paris. / There is no more bread. |
| **ne** + verb + **rien** | nothing | Je ne mange **rien**. / Elle ne dit **rien**. | I'm not eating anything. / She says nothing. |
| **ne** + verb + **personne** | nobody, no one | Je ne vois **personne**. / Il n’appelle **personne**. | I can't see anyone. / He isn't calling anyone. |
| **personne** / **rien** + **ne** + verb | as subject: nobody …, nothing … | **Personne ne** parle. / **Rien ne** change. | Nobody is speaking. / Nothing changes. |
| **ne** + verb + **pas encore** | not yet | Il n’est **pas encore** là. / Je n’ai **pas encore** faim. | He isn't here yet. / I'm not hungry yet. |
| **ne** + verb + **pas du tout** | not at all | Je n’aime **pas du tout** ça. | I don't like that at all. |

- After **ne** … **plus** and **ne** … **jamais**, **un**, **une**, **des** and **du** become **de**. Je n’ai plus **de** pain. / Il ne boit jamais **de** café. (I have no more bread. / He never drinks coffee.)
- In the passé composé, **jamais**, **plus** and **rien** go between the auxiliary and the participle; **personne** goes after the participle. Je n’ai **jamais** vu ce film. / Elle n’a **rien** dit. / Nous n’avons vu **personne**. (I have never seen this film. / She said nothing. / We saw no one.)

## Use: oui, non, si

| Answer | After | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **oui** | a question answered yes | Tu aimes le thé ? — **Oui**, j’aime le thé. | Do you like tea? — Yes, I like tea. |
| **non** | a question answered no | Tu es français ? — **Non**, je suis italien. | Are you French? — No, I'm Italian. |
| **si** | a negative question answered yes | Tu n’as pas de frère ? — **Si**, j’ai un frère. | Don't you have a brother? — Yes, I do have a brother. |

- To a negative question, **non** confirms the negative; **si** contradicts it. Tu ne viens pas ? — **Non**, je ne viens pas. (Aren't you coming? — No, I'm not coming.)

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Je ne pas parle anglais. | Je **ne parle pas** anglais. | **ne** … **pas** surrounds the conjugated verb |
| Je ne aime pas le café. | Je n’aime pas le café. | **ne** becomes **n’** before a vowel |
| Je n’ai pas un frère. | Je n’ai **pas de** frère. | after **pas**, **un** becomes **de** |
| Je ne bois pas du café. | Je ne bois **pas de** café. | after **pas**, **du** becomes **de** |
| Oui, je viens. | **Si**, je viens. | to contradict a negative question, French says **si**, not **oui** |
| Je n’ai personne vu. | Je n’ai vu **personne**. | **personne** goes after the participle |