Je ne comprends pas.
English: I do not understand.
- Language
- French
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Structure de la phrase et accords
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The simple negation in French uses 'ne... pas' to say that something is not happening or is not true.
When to use it
Use 'ne... pas' in French to make a sentence negative, for example, to say you do not do something, do not have something, or something is not true.
Key forms
- ne + verb + pas
- Example: Je ne parle pas.
Examples
Elle ne mange pas.
English: She does not eat.
Nous ne sommes pas fatigués.
English: We are not tired.
Tu ne travailles pas ici.
English: You do not work here.
Tips
- In spoken French, people sometimes drop 'ne', but in writing and exams, always use both 'ne' and 'pas'.
- 'Ne' comes before the verb, and 'pas' comes after the verb.
- If the verb starts with a vowel or silent 'h', 'ne' becomes 'n’', for example: 'Je n’aime pas.'
Exceptions and edge cases
- With certain verbs like 'être' in the imperative, 'ne' and 'pas' go around the verb: 'Ne sois pas en retard!'
- Some verbs use different words for negation, like 'ne... jamais' (never), 'ne... rien' (nothing).