Negative phrases in French
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Hide- 1.What is a negative phrase in French ?
- 2.How to form a negative phrase in French ?
- 2.1.Example phrases
- 2.2.Others negations
- 2.3.When the second negation becomes subject
- 3.The placement of negations in French
- 3.1.Examples
- 4.Exercises
- 4.1.Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of simple tenses in French
- 4.2.Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of compound tenses in French
- 4.3.Fill in the blank exercise about the complex or combined negation in French
What is a negative phrase in French ?
A sentence is negative when it denies something.
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How to form a negative phrase in French ?
Negation is expressed with ne in combination with:
- pas
- plus means "encore" in the affirmative form
- jamais means "toujours" in the affirmative form
- rien means "quelque chose" in the affirmative form
- personne means "quelqu'un" in the affirmative form
- aucun means "pas un seul" in the affirmative form
Example phrases
| Use | Negative form | Affirmative form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne... pas | Je ne veux pas aller au cinéma | Je veux aller au cinéma | (I do not want to got to the cinema) |
| Ne... plus | Elle ne l'aime plus | elle l'aime encore | (She doesn't love her anymore) |
| Ne...jamais | Ils ne sont jamais partis en vacances | Ils sont toujours partis en vacances | (They never went on holidays) |
| Ne... rien | On n'a rien mangé | On a mangé quelque chose | (We ate nothing) |
| Ne... personne | Tu n'as vu personne ? | Tu as vu quelqu'un | (You saw nobody ?) |
| Ne... aucun | Il ne connait aucune fille | Il connait pas une seule fille | (He knows no girl) |
Others negations
- ne...ni...ni for two or more linked negations means "et" in the affirmative form
- sans means "avec" in the affirmative form
- ne...que which is a restriction
| Use | Negative form | Affirmative form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ne...ni...ni | Paul n'est ni jeune, ni beau, ni intelligent | Paul est jeune, beau et intelligent | (Paul isn't young, nor beautiful, nor smart) |
| sans | Il sort sans son imperméable | Il sort avec son imperméable | (He goest out without his raincoat) |
| Ne...que | Julien n'a que cinq ans | (Julian is only five years-old) |
"ne" becomes a "n'" in front of a vowel
When the second negation becomes subject
| Negative form | Affirmative form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Personne ne parle | Quelqu'un parle | (Nobody is talking) |
| Rien ne marche | Tout marche | (Nothing is working) |
There can be many negations in a sentence
- Tu ne comprends jamais rien. (You never understand something)
- Il n'y a plus personne. (There is not anybody)
The placement of negations in French
The negations enclose the conjugated verb like a sandwich.
- For simple verbs
Ne + verb + pas / plus / jamais / rien...
- For compound tenses
Ne + auxiliary + pas / plus / jamais / rien... + past participle
Examples
- Il ne boit pas. (He doesn't drink)
- Il ne fait rien. (He does nothing)
- Tes parents ne sont pas descendus. (Your parents didn't come down)
- Je n'ai pas fait mon devoir pour demain. (I didn't do my homework for tomorrow)
1) Pronouns are placed between the "ne" and the conjugated verb
- Il n'en a pas bu. (He hasn't drink it)
- Je ne lui ai pas parlé. (I haven't talked to him)
- Ils ne leur ont rien fait. (They did nothing to them)
2) With compound tenses, "personne" and "aucun" which are placed after the past participle
- Nous n'avons vu personne. (We saw no one)
- Il n'a trouvé aucun logement. (He found no housing)
3) The negations directly precede a negated infinitive
- J'avais l'idée de ne pas venir. (I had the idea to not come)
- Il a l'intention de ne plus le voir. (He intend to not see him anymore)
- Il espère ne jamais le revoir. (He hopes to never see him again)
Reflexive verbs have a different position for the negation
Ne + reflexive conjugated verb + pas / plus .....
- Nous ne nous laverons pas ce soir. (We will not get a shower tonight)
- Je ne m'enfuierai pas cette fois-ci. (I will not run away this time)
- Ta soeur ne s'attardera pas sur cette machine. (Your sister will not linger on this device)
Exercises
- Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of simple tenses in French
- Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of compound tenses in French
- Fill in the blank exercise about the complex or combined negation in French
Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of simple tenses in French
Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of compound tenses in French
Fill in the blank exercise about the complex or combined negation in French
Exercises
- Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of simple tenses in French
- Fill in the blank exercise about the negative phrases of compound tenses in French
- Fill in the blank exercise about the complex or combined negation in French