Negation – ne … pas with simple tenses

To make a sentence negative, French uses two words: ne before the verb and pas after it.

The basic pattern

• Je parle allemand. → Je ne parle pas allemand.I don't speak German.
• Elle est là. → Elle n'est pas là.She isn't here.
• Nous aimons le café. → Nous n'aimons pas le café.We don't like coffee.

Ne becomes n' before a vowel or mute h.

With reflexive and object pronouns

Ne goes before the pronouns, which stay glued to the verb:

• Je ne me lève pas.I'm not getting up.
• Il ne le sait pas.He doesn't know it.
• Tu ne m'écoutes pas !You're not listening to me!

With an infinitive after another verb

The negation goes around the conjugated verb:

• Je ne veux pas partir.I don't want to leave.
• Il ne va pas pleuvoir.It's not going to rain.

To negate an infinitive itself, both words go before it: Je préfère ne pas sortir. = I'd rather not go out.

Spoken French drops ne

In casual speech, ne is very often left out: Je sais pas (chais pas), C'est pas grave. Understand it, but write ne … pas in anything formal or written.

Articles after negatives

Un, une, des, du, de la usually become de: Je n'ai pas de voiture. See Indefinite articles after negation. Other negative words: Negation.