How to Make Negative Sentences with ne...pas

In French, if you want to say something is not happening, you use ne...pas. This handy structure goes around the verb and shows that the action isn't taking place. Let’s see how to use ne...pas in a simple way!

Basic Structure

1. Subject + ne + verb + pas + (rest of the sentence)

   Example:

   • Positive: Je mange (I eat).
   • Negative: Je ne mange pas (I do not eat).

Important Grammar Points

1. Present Tense Conjugation:

   • For regular verbs:
     • -er: parler → Je parle (I speak)
     • -ir: finir → Je finis (I finish)
     • -re: attendre → J'attends (I wait)
   • Use the right form of the verb before ne...pas.

2. Using Avoir and Être:

   • In sentences with more than one verb, put ne...pas around the helper verb:
     • Avoir: J'ai (I have) → Je n'ai pas (I do not have).
     • Être: Je suis (I am) → Je ne suis pas (I am not).

3. Agreement of Adjectives:

   • When using describing words (adjectives), make sure they fit the noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural):
     • Positive: Il est content (He is happy).
     • Negative: Il n'est pas content (He is not happy).

Examples

• Ils parlent (They speak) → Ils ne parlent pas (They do not speak).
• Nous avons (We have) → Nous n'avons pas (We do not have).

Practice

Try making negative sentences with these verbs:

• Tu aimes (You like) → Tu n'aimes pas (You do not like).
• Elle finit (She finishes) → Elle ne finit pas (She does not finish).

Once you get the hang of using ne...pas, you can easily say what isn’t happening in French and improve your speaking skills!