French · Everyday expressions
How to pronounce je ne sais pas in French
je ne sais pas
I don't know
French of France · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
je ne sais pas is pronounced /ʒə n(ə) sɛ pa/ in French. In je ne sais pas: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in je ne sais pas
The reference transcription for je ne sais pas is /ʒə n(ə) sɛ pa/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. French prominence belongs to the spoken phrase. Do not impose a heavy English-style stress on every isolated word.
1.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In je ne sais pas: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
2.An open vowel
In je ne sais pas: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
3.A clear /s/
In je ne sais pas: Let air pass through a narrow groove near the front of the mouth. Keep the sound unvoiced.
Watch out: Do not add voicing and turn /s/ into /z/.
Hear it in context
Je ne sais pas, je ne suis pas du quartier.
I don't know—I'm not from the neighborhood.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
je ne sais pas is presented using French of France. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about je ne sais pas
How do you pronounce je ne sais pas?
je ne sais pas is pronounced /ʒə n(ə) sɛ pa/ in French. In je ne sais pas: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In je ne sais pas: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
