Breakdown of Elles n'aiment pas l'école.
elles
they (feminine)
l'école
the school (f)
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
aimer
to like, to love
Questions & Answers about Elles n'aiment pas l'école.
Why is it n'aiment instead of ne aiment?
The negative word ne drops its 'e' and uses an apostrophe when the verb right next to it starts with a vowel, like aiment. This is called elision, and it makes the phrase flow more smoothly when spoken.
Where exactly do the negative words go in this sentence?
In French, basic negation acts like a sandwich around the conjugated verb. The ne (or n' in this case) goes right before the verb aiment, and the pas goes right after it.
Why is the word 'the' (l') used before école when the English translation just says 'school'?
In French, when you talk about your likes and dislikes using verbs like aimer (to like/love), you always need a definite article (le, la, l', or les). So to say you like or dislike school in general, you must say l'école (the school).
How do I pronounce aiment? Do I say the -ent at the end?
Since Elles means 'they,' could I use Ils instead?
You would use Ils if the group of people you are talking about includes males, or if you don't know who is in the group. Elles is used specifically when 'they' refers to a group made up entirely of females.
Learn Elles n'aiment pas l'école and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free