Understanding French Negation
French negation uses a two-part structure that surrounds the verb. Unlike English, which typically uses one negative word, French requires two elements to create negation:
NE + VERB + NEGATIVE WORD
The most common negative form is ne...pas (not), but French has many other negative expressions:
- ne...pas (not)
- ne...jamais (never)
- ne...rien (nothing)
- ne...plus (no longer/no more)
- ne...personne (nobody)
- ne...que (only)
The ne comes before the verb, and the second part comes after the verb.
Examples
Je ne parle pas. (I don't speak.)
Two-part negation: ne + verb + pas
Il ne mange jamais. (He never eats.)
Two-part negation: ne + verb + jamais
Nous ne voyons rien. (We see nothing.)
Two-part negation: ne + verb + rien
NE...PAS (Not) - Basic Negation
Ne...pas is the most common negative form in French, equivalent to "not" in English:
PARLER (to speak) - Negative Form
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | ne parle pas | I don't speak |
| tu | ne parles pas | you don't speak (informal) |
| il/elle/on | ne parle pas | he/she/one doesn't speak |
| nous | ne parlons pas | we don't speak |
| vous | ne parlez pas | you don't speak (formal/plural) |
| ils/elles | ne parlent pas | they don't speak |
NE becomes N' before vowels
Before vowels and silent h, ne contracts to n':
Je n'aime pas le café. (I don't like coffee.)
Il n'habite pas ici. (He doesn't live here.)
Placement with Object Pronouns
With object pronouns, ne comes before the pronoun:
Je ne le vois pas. (I don't see him.)
Tu ne lui parles pas. (You don't speak to him.)
NE...JAMAIS (Never)
Ne...jamais means "never" and replaces ne...pas when expressing never:
Examples
Je ne mange jamais de viande. (I never eat meat.)
Elle ne regarde jamais la télé. (She never watches TV.)
Nous ne sortons jamais le dimanche. (We never go out on Sundays.)
Ils ne voyagent jamais en avion. (They never travel by plane.)
JAMAIS without NE
Jamais can be used alone in responses:
- Tu fumes? - Jamais! (Do you smoke? - Never!)
Jamais de la vie! (Never in my life!)
NE...RIEN (Nothing)
Ne...rien means "nothing" and can function as subject or object:
Examples
Je ne vois rien. (I see nothing/I don't see anything.)
Il ne dit rien. (He says nothing/He doesn't say anything.)
Rien ne marche. (Nothing works.)
Rien n'est impossible. (Nothing is impossible.)
RIEN as Subject
When rien is the subject, it comes first:
Rien ne m'intéresse. (Nothing interests me.)
Rien ne va. (Nothing is going well.)
RIEN with Prepositions
Rien can be used with prepositions:
Je ne pense à rien. (I'm not thinking about anything.)
Il ne s'intéresse à rien. (He's not interested in anything.)
NE...PLUS (No longer/No more)
Ne...plus means "no longer," "no more," or "not anymore":
Examples
Je ne fume plus. (I don't smoke anymore.)
Elle ne vient plus. (She doesn't come anymore.)
Il n'y a plus de pain. (There's no more bread.)
Nous ne habitons plus ici. (We don't live here anymore.)
PLUS vs. PLUS
Pronunciation differs based on meaning:
Je ne veux plus. [plu] (I don't want anymore.)
Je veux plus. [plus] (I want more.)
NE...PERSONNE (Nobody)
Ne...personne means "nobody" or "no one":
Examples
Je ne vois personne. (I don't see anyone.)
Il ne connaît personne. (He doesn't know anyone.)
PERSONNE as Subject
When personne is the subject:
Personne ne vient. (Nobody is coming.)
Personne n'est parfait. (Nobody is perfect.)
NE...QUE (Only)
Ne...que means "only" and is restrictive rather than truly negative:
Examples
Je ne parle que français. (I only speak French.)
Il ne mange que des légumes. (He only eats vegetables.)
Elle ne vient que le dimanche. (She only comes on Sundays.)
Nous n'avons que dix euros. (We only have ten euros.)
Negation in Compound Tenses
In compound tenses (passé composé, plus-que-parfait, etc.), the negative words surround the auxiliary verb:
Examples
Je n'ai pas mangé. (I haven't eaten.)
Il n'est jamais venu. (He has never come.)
Nous n'avons rien vu. (We haven't seen anything.)
Elle n'était plus partie. (She had no longer left.)
Exception: PERSONNE
Personne comes after the past participle:
Je n'ai vu personne. (I haven't seen anyone.)
Il n'a rencontré personne. (He hasn't met anyone.)
Multiple Negatives
French can combine multiple negative expressions:
Examples
Je ne dis jamais rien. (I never say anything.)
Il ne voit plus personne. (He doesn't see anyone anymore.)
Elle ne fait jamais rien. (She never does anything.)
Nous ne parlons plus jamais. (We never speak anymore.)
Informal Spoken French
In informal spoken French, the "ne" is often dropped:
Examples
Formal: Je ne sais pas. → Informal: Je sais pas.
Formal: Il ne vient jamais. → Informal: Il vient jamais.
Written vs. Spoken
Always use complete negation in writing:
✅ Written: Je ne comprends pas.
❌ Written: Je comprends pas.
Common Negative Mistakes
Here are frequent errors students make with French negation:
1. Forgetting the "ne": Using only the second part
2. Wrong placement: Putting negatives in wrong position
3. Double negatives: Using "pas" with other negatives
4. Infinitive negation: Wrong placement with infinitives
Examples
❌ Je parle pas → ✅ Je ne parle pas
Wrong: missing "ne"
❌ Je ne jamais pas mange → ✅ Je ne mange jamais
Wrong: don't use "pas" with other negatives
❌ Je veux ne pas partir → ✅ Je ne veux pas partir
Wrong: negation placement with infinitive
❌ Personne ne vient pas → ✅ Personne ne vient
Wrong: don't add "pas" when subject is negative