French Negation – Learn how to express disagreement

Key takeaways

• French negation usually uses ne … pas around the verb.
• There are many other negative expressions like jamais, rien, personne, plus.
• Word order changes depending on tense and pronouns.
• Negatives can appear in formal and informal registers (spoken vs written).
• Mastering negation is essential to sound natural in everyday French.

What Is Negation in French?

Negation (la négation) is the way to express “no,” “not,” or general disagreement in a sentence.

The most common form is: 
 ne + verb + pas

• Je ne parle pas anglais. → I do not speak English.

French Negation Rules

1. Basic structure: ne + verb + pas 

• Elle ne mange pas de viande. → She doesn’t eat meat.

2. With vowels: ne becomes n’ 

• Il n’aime pas le café. → He doesn’t like coffee.

3. Compound tenses: ne and pas go around the auxiliary verb 

• Je n’ai pas vu le film. → I haven’t seen the movie.

4. Object pronouns: Negatives wrap around both pronoun and verb 

• Je ne l’ai pas compris. → I didn’t understand it.

Common Negative Expressions in French

Here’s a list of useful negative adverbs and phrases:

ne … jamais → never 

• Je ne vais jamais au cinéma. → I never go to the movies.

ne … rien → nothing 

• Je n’ai rien dit. → I said nothing.

ne … personne → nobody 

• Elle n’a vu personne. → She saw nobody.

ne … plus → no longer 

• Nous ne travaillons plus ici. → We no longer work here.

ne … aucun(e) → none, not any 

• Il n’a aucune idée. → He has no idea.

ne … que → only (not strictly negative, but restrictive) 

• Je n’ai que deux euros. → I only have two euros.

French Negation vs English

Spoken French Negation

In everyday conversation, French speakers often drop the ne and keep only the second part.

• Je parle pas français. → I don’t speak French.
• Il sait pas. → He doesn’t know.

This is common in informal speech but not correct in formal writing.

Examples of Negative Sentences in French

• Je ne comprends pas. → I don’t understand.
• Ils n’ont rien fait. → They did nothing.
• Tu ne viens jamais avec nous. → You never come with us.
• Elle ne veut plus travailler ici. → She no longer wants to work here.

1

Exercises: Practice French Negation

1. Fill in the blanks

• Je ________ (aimer) pas les légumes.
• Nous n’________ (avoir) rien à dire.

2. Translate into French

• She never watches TV.
• We didn’t see anyone.
• They no longer live in Paris.

3. Correct the mistakes

• ❌ Je pas comprends.
• ❌ Elle ne jamais parle.

Answers

1. n’aime, avons
2. Elle ne regarde jamais la télé | Nous n’avons vu personne | Ils n’habitent plus à Paris
3. Je ne comprends pas | Elle ne parle jamais

Tips for Mastering French Negation

• Always remember two parts: ne + pas/jamais/rien/etc.
• In compound tenses, negatives surround the auxiliary verb.
• Watch for the difference between formal and spoken usage.
• Practice by turning affirmative sentences into negatives.

For more on building correct structures, see our French verb tenses overview. For learning strategies, check learning French effectively. And if you’re curious about your progress, explore how long it takes to learn French fluently.

Summary

French negation relies on the two-part structure ne … pas, but expands into many forms like jamais, rien, personne, plus. It’s one of the first grammar rules learners encounter, and it’s essential for everyday communication.

By reviewing resources like Lawless French’s Negative Adverbs and French Today’s Master French Negative, you can deepen your understanding. With practice, building negative sentences will feel natural as you learn French with Promova.