Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to form simple negations in French using "ne... pas" and "ne... plus" to express refusal or absence, with examples like "Je ne mange pas de sucre" and "Il ne boit plus de café."
  1. The indefinite article "un, une, des" is replaced by "de" in the negative form.
Forme (Form)Exemple (Example)
Sujet + ne + verbe + pasJe ne mange pas de sucre (I do not eat any sugar)
Sujet + ne + verbe + plusIl ne boit plus de café (He no longer drinks coffee)
Sujet + n' + verbe + pasTu n'as pas de livre. (You do not have a book.)

Exceptions!

  1. "Ne" becomes "n'" when it precedes a verb starting with a vowel.

Exercise 1: La négation simple

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

ne sommes, ne manges, ne portes, n'ai, ne sortent, ne voit, ne voulons, ne buvez

1. Avoir:
: Je ... plus de sucre.
(I have no more sugar.)
2. Vouloir:
: Nous ... plus le voir.
(We no longer want to see him.)
3. Boir:
: Vous ... pas d'alcool.
(You do not drink alcohol.)
4. Sortir:
: Ils ... pas le soir.
(They do not go out in the evening.)
5. Voir:
: Elle ... pas de sucre.
(She does not see any sugar.)
6. Porter:
: Tu ... pas de chapeau.
(You are not wearing a hat.)
7. Être:
: Nous ... plus ensemble.
(We are no longer together.)
8. Manger:
: Tu ... pas de viande.
(You do not eat meat.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Je ___ mange pas de sucre le matin.

(I ___ do not eat sugar in the morning.)

2. Tu ___ pas de compas dans ta trousse.

(You ___ do not have a compass in your pencil case.)

3. Il ___ forme pas un carré avec cette règle.

(He ___ does not form a square with this ruler.)

4. Nous ___ voulons pas de pyramide aujourd’hui.

(We ___ do not want a pyramid today.)

5. Vous ___ regardez pas le cercle avec l’équerre.

(You ___ do not look at the circle with the set square.)

6. Ils ___ sont pas contents de ce losange.

(They ___ are not happy with this diamond shape.)

Understanding Simple Negation in French

This lesson focuses on how to form simple negation in French, a fundamental aspect of expressing negative statements, refusals, or the absence of something. The core structure involves placing two negative elements around the verb to create a statement that denies or contradicts an affirmative sentence.

Basic Negation Structure

The standard negation pattern is:

  • Subject + ne + verb + pas
  • For example: Je ne mange pas de sucre (I do not eat sugar).

When the verb begins with a vowel or mute h, ne becomes n' for ease of pronunciation.

  • Subject + n' + verb + pas
  • Example: Tu n'as pas de livre.

Other Negative Expressions

Beyond pas, French uses other negative adverbs such as plus (no longer):

  • Subject + ne + verb + plus
  • Example: Il ne boit plus de café (He no longer drinks coffee).

Important Notes on Articles in Negation

In negative sentences, indefinite articles (un, une, des) change to de or d' before a vowel sound.

Example: Je ne mange pas de sucre replaces the affirmative Je mange du sucre.

Key Vocabulary and Phrases

  • ne / n' — negative particle placed before the verb
  • pas — used after the verb to complete the negation
  • plus — means "no longer" or "not anymore"
  • de — replaces indefinite articles in negative sentences

Differences from English

Unlike English, which typically uses a single word "not" for negation after auxiliary verbs, French requires the two-part negation with ne and pas enclosing the verb phrase. Also, whereas English keeps articles unchanged, French replaces indefinite articles with de in negative constructions.

Useful phrases include:

  • "I do not eat sugar" — Je ne mange pas de sucre
  • "He no longer drinks coffee" — Il ne boit plus de café

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 16:33