Making Negative Sentences in French with 'ne...pas'

Basic Structure

To make a negative sentence in French, we usually use this format: ne + verb + pas.

When the verb starts with a vowel or a silent 'h', we shorten "ne" to "n’".

Example:

• Affirmative: Je mange une pomme. (I eat an apple.)
• Negative: Je ne mange pas de pomme. (I do not eat an apple.)

Vocabulary:

• manger - to eat
• pomme - apple
• Je ne...pas - I do not...

Subject-Verb-Object

In simple sentences, break it down into these parts:

• Subject: Je (I)
• Verb: ne mange (do not eat)
• Object: pas de pomme (not an apple)

Practice:

Now, let's turn some sentences into negatives:

1. Tu aimes le chocolat. (You like chocolate.)
   • Negative: Tu ne aimes pas le chocolat. (You do not like chocolate.)

Questions and Expanding Sentences

To turn sentences into questions or to add extra information, here’s what to do:

• Example Question: Est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat? (Do you like chocolate?)
• Expansion: J’aime les pommes, mais je ne mange pas de chocolat. (I like apples, but I do not eat chocolate.)

Conclusion

Keep practicing making negative sentences with "ne...pas" using different verbs and words. This will help you get better at French!