Look at these negative sentences:
Notice that to make a negative sentence in French is slightly more complicated than in English as there are two negative words involved.
Notice that to negate a verb in a simple sentence, you wrap ne… pas around the verb (here suis / ai).
Note: if the verb begins with a vowel, use n' instead of ne.
ATTENTION: c'est becomes ce n'est pas.
C'est bleu ? Non, ce n'est pas bleu !
Is it blue? No, that's not blue!
Ce n'est pas très gentil de sa part.
It's not very nice of him.
See also more advanced lessons Position of negation with two verbs (conjugated + infinitive)
and Using 'ne ... pas' with compound tenses (negation)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Ce n'est pas très gentil de sa part.
It's not very nice of him.
Elle ne regarde pas la télé.
She is not watching telly.
C'est bleu ? Non, ce n'est pas bleu !
Is it blue? No, that's not blue!
Tu n'écoutes pas Alice.
You don't listen to Alice.
Nous n'allons pas au cinéma.
We're not going to the cinema.
Je n'ai pas de frère.
I have no brother.
Je n'aime pas Paul.
I don't like Paul.
Je ne suis pas grande.
I am not tall.
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
4/06/18
Hi Catherine,
ne..pas always brackets the first conjugated verb. Any potential object to the verb comes after it. Therefore it is:
Je n'ai pas besoin de cela. -- I don't need that.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
7/03/18
Bonjour Trupti !
The être exception applies to all so-called "verbes d'état" (state verbs) in French, which are verbs that describe a state the subject of the sentence is in.
Here is the complete list of "verbes d'état", which I've now added to the lesson :)
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/my-languages/french/theme/1512981
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
Trupti
Kwiziq community member
7/03/18
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
23/03/18
Trupti
Kwiziq community member
24/03/18
Debora
Kwiziq community member
12/01/18
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
5/09/18
Hi Helen,
We always say:
Elle ne regarde pas la télé = She doesn't watch tv
Ils n'écoutent pas la radio = They don't listen to radio
Nous ne parlons pas le français = We don't speak French
Ses enfants n'aiment pas le chocolat = Her children don't like chocolate
It has nothing to do with the pas here.
If you say:
"Il n'a pas de télé" ( téléviseur), it means,
"He has not got a tv"
Hope this helps!
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
12/12/16
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
18/07/16
Damien
Kwiziq community member
14/01/17
Helen
Kwiziq community member
1 July 2018
1 reply
I was trying to say 'you don't like them' (ie dogs) so I said 'tu les n'aime pas. Is the wrong?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
2 July 2018
2/07/18
It's almost correct, Helen. The word order is a bit different and the verb needs to be in second person singular, because of the "tu":
Tu ne les aimes pas.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).