Forme négative

French negative form

Negative describes a statement that uses a grammatically negative construction (as opposed to affirmative).

In French, the negative form requires at least two words: ne ... pas, ne ... jamais, ne ... plus, etc.

For example

La maison n'est pas grande. - The house isn't big.

Je ne mange jamais d'épinards. - I never eat spinach.

Elles n'ont plus de sucre. - They don't have any sugar left.

Elle ne lit rien. - She reads nothing.
 

Note: The term "negative" refers to the grammatical construction, not the meaning of the sentence.

 
Questions (interrogative statements) and commands (imperative statements) can also be negative:

Pourquoi ne répond-il pas ? - Why is he not answering?

Ne marchez pas sur la pelouse ! - Don't walk on the grass!

Let me take a look at that...