French · Greetings & Essentials
"Not" in French: ne… pas
ne… pas
Not in French is usually ne… pas around the verb: je ne sais pas. In speech, ne often drops: je sais pas. Keep both parts of ne… pas when practicing the full form.
Decline politely
Je ne veux pas sortir ce soir.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ne… pas
Say it
nuh… pah
/nə … pa/
Ne: nuh. Pas: pah. Together around the verb: nuh VERB pah.
"Not" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ne… pas | not Default negation. | Default negation. |
| je ne sais pas | I don't know Classic phrase. | Classic phrase. |
| pas vraiment | not really Soft no. | Soft no. |
| ne… plus | not anymore Related negation. | Related negation. |
How to use ne… pas in real life
- 1Decline politely
Je ne veux pas sortir ce soir.
I don't want to go out tonight.
Ne… pas around veux.
- 2Directions
Ce n'est pas la bonne rue.
This is not the right street.
Ce n'est pas.
- 3Food preference
Je n'aime pas les olives.
I don't like olives.
Ne… pas with aimer.
Mistakes English speakers make with ne… pas
Incorrect: Je pas veux.
Correct: Je ne veux pas.
Wrap the verb: ne + verb + pas.
Incorrect: Je ne veux (missing pas).
Correct: Je ne veux pas.
Include pas for this headword.
Good to know
Spoken French often drops ne: je sais pas, c'est pas grave. In writing and careful speech, keep ne… pas. Never put pas before the conjugated verb in standard French.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing a movie
ChatPal
Tu veux un film d'horreur ?
Want a horror movie?
You
Non, je ne veux pas. Trop stressant.
No, I don't want to. Too stressful.
ChatPal
OK. Une comédie, alors ? Ce n'est pas trop long.
OK. A comedy then? It's not too long.
You
Parfait.
Perfect.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Not" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Not" in French
How do you say not in French?
Ne… pas around the verb.
Can I drop ne?
In casual speech yes (je sais pas); keep ne in careful French.
Where does pas go?
After the conjugated verb: je ne mange pas.
How do you say I don't know?
Je ne sais pas.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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