French Negatives

French Negatives

1. Ne… pas means 'not' and forms a sandwich around the main verb, eg:

   • Vous ne mangez pas de viande (You don't eat meat)
   • Je ne jouais pas au foot (I was not playing football)
   • Other Options
     • There are other negatives that work like ne… pas:
       • Ne… plus (not anymore, no longer) --> Je ne travaille plus (I don't work anymore)
       • Ne… rien (nothing, not anything) --> Je ne vois rien (I can't see anything)
       • Ne... personne (nobody, not anybody) --> Je ne connais personne à Paris (I don't know anybody in Paris)

2. Remember that ne becomes n' before a vowel or silent -h, eg:

   • Je n'ai pas de voiture (I don't have a car)
   • Elle n'habite plus ici (She doesn't live here anymore)

3. Perfect tense with the negative

   • In the perfect tense the negatives forms go around the part of avoir or être:
     • Je n'ai pas parlé à Marie (I haven't spoken to Marie)
     • If two verbs are used together, the ne... pas goes around the first:
       • Je ne peux pas aller au cinéma (I can't go to the cinema)