Negating infinitives with "ne pas"
When negating a conjugated verb, ne and pas sandwich it. But when negating an infinitive (an unconjugated verb), the two negative words stay together directly in front of it.
| It is better not to touch the terrarium because of the venom. | Il vaut mieux ne pas toucher le terrarium à cause du venin. |
| It is important not to open the cage. | Il est important de ne pas ouvrir la cage. |
Other negative adverbs: "ne jamais" and "ne plus"
The same rule applies to negative expressions like ne jamais (never) and ne plus (not anymore). They also stay together right before the infinitive.
| I advise you to never touch the snake. | Je te conseille de ne jamais toucher le serpent. |
| He promises not to feed the lizard anymore. | Il promet de ne plus nourrir le lézard. |
Following prepositions
When giving instructions, the negative pair often sits between a preposition (like de, à, or pour) and the infinitive verb.
| You must be careful not to frighten the frog. | Tu dois faire attention à ne pas effrayer la grenouille. |
| I ask him not to clean the terrarium, so as not to break the glass. | Je lui demande de ne pas nettoyer le terrarium, pour ne pas casser la vitre. |
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