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
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.
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.
Q&A
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
29/10/18
Chris
Kwiziq community member
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).
Tamanna
Kwiziq community member
4/04/19
what is the rule why the word order needs to be different?
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!
marn
Kwiziq community member
23/10/18
Debora
Kwiziq community member
23/10/18
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
12/12/16
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
18/07/16
Damien
Kwiziq community member
14/01/17
Andrew
Kwiziq community member
1 January 2019
1 reply
What does "nous n'allons pas de chez nous" means
Chris
Kwiziq community member
1 January 2019
1/01/19
The sentence doesn't make a lot of sense. Literally, it says "We don't go from our place." You could either say:
Nous n'allons pas chez nous. -- We are not going home. Or,Nous ne venons pas de chez nous. -- We are not coming from home.