Learn French: Tu ne fais pas la vaisselle.

Tu ne fais pas la vaisselle.

You don't do the dishes.

Breakdown of Tu ne fais pas la vaisselle.

you (informal singular)

not (used before the verb)

pas

not (used after the verb)

faire

to do, to make

Questions & Answers about Tu ne fais pas la vaisselle.

Why is the verb fais used here?

Fais is the informal 'you' (tu) form of the irregular verb faire, which means 'to do' or 'to make'. In this sentence, it simply means 'do'.

How does the negative part of the sentence work?

To say 'don't', French puts ne before the verb and pas after it. Here, they wrap around the conjugated verb to make ne fais pas (don't do).

Why is it la vaisselle (singular) when in English we say 'the dishes' (plural)?

In French, la vaisselle is a collective word for all the dirty plates, cups, and silverware. It acts as a single feminine noun, which is why we use the singular la instead of the plural les.

Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of fais?

No, the 's' is silent. It sounds exactly the same as the 'I' form (je fais).