Je ne suis pas occupé.
English: I am not busy.
- Language
- French
- Level
- A0
- Unit
- Négation et questions simples
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Basic negatives are built with ne ... pas and helper verbs.
When to use it
Use negatives to say no, deny information, or describe absence.
Key forms
- être/avoir + ne ... pas
- ne ... pas + base verb
- ne peux pas (modal awareness)
Examples
Elle ne conduit pas.
English: She does not drive.
Ils ne sont pas à l'école.
English: They are not at school.
Nous ne comprenons pas.
English: We do not understand.
Tips
- Place ne before the verb and pas after.
- In speech, ne is often dropped: 'Je suis pas prêt.' (informal).
- Do not add endings to the main verb after pas.
Exceptions and edge cases
- With être, no extra helper is needed: Elle n'est pas..., not Elle ne fait pas être....
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