la négation simple (ne...pas) grammar in French

Language: French
Level: A2
Unit: Négation et questions
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

The simple negation in French uses 'ne...pas' to make a sentence negative. It means 'not' and is used to say that something does not happen or is not true.

When to use it

Use 'ne...pas' to say that someone does not do something or that something is not true. It is used with verbs in most sentences to make them negative.

Key forms

Subject + ne + verb + pas
Example: Je ne parle pas.

Examples

Je ne mange pas.

English: I do not eat.

Tu ne comprends pas.

English: You do not understand.

Il ne travaille pas aujourd'hui.

English: He is not working today.

Nous ne regardons pas la télévision.

English: We do not watch television.

Tips

In spoken French, people often drop the 'ne', but in writing and in exams, always use both 'ne' and 'pas'.
The 'ne' goes before the verb, and 'pas' goes 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 some verbs like 'aimer', 'adorer', 'détester', use 'ne...pas' in the same way.
In compound tenses (like passé composé), 'ne' and 'pas' go around the auxiliary verb (e.g., Je n'ai pas fini).