Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien

A1 — Structure de la phrase

Negation: ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais, ne...rien

Can make sentences negative using ne...pas and other negation forms

Examples

Je ne comprends pas cette question. — I don't understand this question.
Il ne fume plus et il ne boit jamais. — He no longer smokes and he never drinks.
Je n'ai pas compris. — I didn't understand.

Sentence structureA1

Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien

Negation: ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais, ne...rien

Learning Goal

Can make sentences negative using ne...pas and other negation forms

Exam Skills:WritingSpeaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Je ne comprends pas cette question.

I don't understand this question.

Il ne fume plus et il ne boit jamais.

He no longer smokes and he never drinks.

Je n'ai pas compris.

I didn't understand.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

English makes a verb negative with "not" and usually a helper: "I don't speak Chinese". French has no helper; instead it wraps the conjugated verb in two words, ne before it and a second word after it.

Negation	Meaning	Example
ne... pas	not	Je ne parle pas* chinois.* - I don't speak Chinese.
ne... plus	no longer, not any more	Il ne fume plus. - He doesn't smoke any more.
ne... jamais	never	Je ne bois jamais* d'alcool.* - I never drink alcohol.
ne... rien	nothing, not anything	Je ne vois rien. - I can't see anything.
ne... personne	nobody, not anyone	Il n'y a personne. - There's nobody here.

Ne becomes n' before a vowel: Je n'aime pas les escargots. The second word replaces pas; do not use both (*Je ne bois pas jamais).

Where the two parts go

Passé composé: around the helper verb. Je n'ai pas mangé. - I haven't eaten.
Near future and modals: around the conjugated verb. Je ne vais pas venir. On ne peut pas entrer.
With an infinitive alone, both words go in front: Ne pas toucher ! - Do not touch! (seen on signs in every museum)

Articles after a negative

After a negative, un, une, des and du, de la become de: J'ai une voiture → Je n'ai pas de voiture.

In speech

In everyday spoken French, ne is very often dropped: Je parle pas chinois. C'est pas grave. The second word carries the negation. In writing and in formal speech, keep ne. Do not drop pas instead: Je ne parle chinois sounds broken.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Forgetting ne (or forgetting pas); wrong placement in compound tenses. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English negation is simple ('don't'). The two-part French negation is harder.

Common Error Patterns

Incomplete or misplaced negation

ne + verb + pas. In passé composé: ne + auxiliary + pas + participle. Written: always include ne.

Je ne comprends pas cette question.

I don't understand this question.

Ne before verb, pas after. The two parts wrap the conjugated verb.

Il ne fume plus et il ne boit jamais.

He no longer smokes and he never drinks.

Ne...plus = no longer. Ne...jamais = never. Replace pas with plus/jamais.

Je n'ai pas compris.

I didn't understand.

Passé composé: ne + auxiliary + pas + participle. N'ai pas compris.

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien?: English makes a verb negative with "not" and usually a helper: "I don't speak Chinese". French has no helper; instead it wraps the conjugated verb in two words, ne before it and a second word after it.
How do you form Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien?: Ne becomes n' before a vowel: Je n'aime pas les escargots. The second word replaces pas ; do not use both ( *Je ne bois pas jamais ). After a negative, un , une , des and du , de la become de : J'ai une voiture → Je n'ai pas de voiture. In everyday spoken French, ne is very often dropped: Je parle pas chinois. C'est pas grave. The second word carries the negation. In writing and in formal speech, keep ne . Do not drop pas instead: Je ne parle chinois sounds broken.
What are common mistakes with Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien?: Forgetting ne (or forgetting pas); wrong placement in compound tenses. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English negation is simple ('don't'). The two-part French negation is harder.

Negation

Meaning

Example

ne... pas

not

Je ne parle pas chinois. - I don't speak Chinese.

ne... plus

no longer, not any more

Il ne fume plus. - He doesn't smoke any more.

ne... jamais

never

Je ne bois jamais d'alcool. - I never drink alcohol.

ne... rien

nothing, not anything

Je ne vois rien. - I can't see anything.

ne... personne

nobody, not anyone

Il n'y a personne. - There's nobody here.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien?

How do you form Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien?

Ne becomes n' before a vowel: Je n'aime pas les escargots. The second word replaces pas ; do not use both ( *Je ne bois pas jamais ). After a negative, un , une , des and du , de la become de : J'ai une voiture → Je n'ai pas de voiture. In everyday spoken French, ne is very often dropped: Je parle pas chinois. C'est pas grave. The second word carries the negation. In writing and in formal speech, keep ne . Do not drop pas instead: Je ne parle chinois sounds broken.

What are common mistakes with Negation: ne... pas, ne... jamais, ne... rien?

Forgetting ne (or forgetting pas); wrong placement in compound tenses. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English negation is simple ('don't'). The two-part French negation is harder.