How is "it" "that" this these and those written and pronounced in French?
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
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.
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!
Q&A Forum 9 questions, 17 answers
The answers to your question will come along the way as you progress through the lessons. I am not sure, they are going to be terribly helpful now, but here they are:
It: le or la
That: ça or cela
These: ceux-ci or celles-ci
Those: ceux-là or celles-là
Louis asked:View original
A question popped out along my way
How is "it" "that" this these and those written and pronounced in French?
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Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
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.
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HelenKwiziq community member
I was trying to say 'you don't like them' (ie dogs) so I said 'tu les n'aime pas. Is the wrong?
Asked 1 year ago
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).
Helen asked:View original
I was trying to say 'you don't like them' (ie dogs) so I said 'tu les n'aime pas. Is the wrong?
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CatherineKwiziq community member
If I wanted to say "I don't need" would I say je n'ai pas besoin or je n'ai besoin pas? I'm not sure I'm finding this phrase difficult!
Asked 1 year ago
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).
Catherine asked:View original
If I wanted to say "I don't need" would I say je n'ai pas besoin or je n'ai besoin pas? I'm not sure I'm finding this phrase difficult!
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TruptiKwiziq community member
While doing negation with 'de' ,
Hi Laura, I have a query negation with 'de'. I know that with être it stays the same and in case of IL y a and avoir un,une, des changes to de. What about other verbs than the ones mentioned. Does it apply in all cases ?I'd like to know please.
Asked 1 year ago
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 asked:View original
While doing negation with 'de' ,
Hi Laura, I have a query negation with 'de'. I know that with être it stays the same and in case of IL y a and avoir un,une, des changes to de. What about other verbs than the ones mentioned. Does it apply in all cases ?I'd like to know please.
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HelenKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Elle ne regarde pas la télé.
Wouldn't this be: elle ne regarde pas de télé ...using "de" after pas?
Asked 1 year ago
DeboraKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
using 'de' after the negation is when you negate the thing after the verb. In this case, the negation is about not watching so it is a simple negation of the verb 'regarder'.
'Je n'ai pas de frère' is about no brothers. The 'de' in this case is like 'any' in English. 'J'ai des frères.' I have brothers. 'Je n'ai pas de frères.' I don't have any brothers.
CécileKwiziq team member
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!
MarnKwiziq community member
Why would it be Il n’a pas DE télé and not ....pas le télé? Why use “de” not “le”?
DeboraKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The rule in French is when you are using negation to say there isn’t any of something, the definite article goes away and is replaced by ‘de’. « Il n’a pas de télé. » means he doesn’t have a TV set. Il a une télé. means he has a TV. Similar to what happens in English when we say “He has some ideas.” When that is negated “He does not have any idea.” The word ‘some’ changes to ‘any’. It’s one of those idiosyncrasies of language. Hard to explain but when you start using it correctly, your French will sound so much better.
Helen asked:View original
Elle ne regarde pas la télé.
Wouldn't this be: elle ne regarde pas de télé ...using "de" after pas?
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HoytKwiziq community member
Severe 'hum' on audio of filmclip. Voice is very soft and weak. Needs correction.
Check ground connection on mike!
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Hoyt !
I agree that the sound on this video could be better, but we're just hosting the link to a third party's video, so we can't do anything to it specifically.
However, we'll be looking for a better quality video, and we of course welcome any suggestions !
À bientôt !
Hoyt asked:View original
Severe 'hum' on audio of filmclip. Voice is very soft and weak. Needs correction.
Check ground connection on mike!
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