Basic Negation (ne... pas)
To make a sentence negative in French, you need two words: ne and pas. Place ne before the verb and pas after it—like a sandwich around the verb.
| I do not understand the book. | Je ne comprends pas le livre. |
| We are not tired. | Nous ne sommes pas fatigués. |
Dropping the "e" (n')
If the verb begins with a vowel, ne drops its "e" and attaches to the verb with an apostrophe, becoming n'. The word pas still goes after the verb.
| It is not true. | Ce n'est pas vrai. |
| The idea is not important. | L'idée n'est pas importante. |
This applies to any verb starting with a vowel, like aimer (to like) or avoir (to have).
| You do not like hot coffee. | Tu n'aimes pas le café chaud. |
| I do not have time. | Je n'ai pas le temps. |
Discussing Abstract Concepts
You can use this simple structure to discuss abstract concepts, like stating whether something is a problem (un problème) or a mistake (une erreur).
| It is not a problem. | Ce n'est pas un problème. |
| It is not a mistake. | Ce n'est pas une erreur. |
| A mistake is not always a problem. | Une erreur n'est pas toujours un problème. |
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