ELONIO
Log inSign up

Pourquoi est-ce que tu n'as pas d'argent ?

Pourquoi est-ce que tu n'as pas d'argent ?
Why don't you have any money?
From Lesson 46:Zero quantity (pas de)·French

Questions & Answers about Pourquoi est-ce que tu n'as pas d'argent ?

Why is it pas d'argent instead of using de l'?
When a sentence is entirely negative (meaning zero quantity), French replaces the usual quantity articles (like un, une, des, or de l') with just de. Because argent starts with a vowel, de drops its 'e' and becomes d'. This is why 'not any money' translates to pas d'argent.
Why are there two apostrophes in n'as pas d'argent?
Both happen because French avoids having two vowel sounds right next to each other. First, the negative word ne drops its 'e' before the vowel in as (you have) to become n'as. Then, de drops its 'e' before the vowel in argent to become d'.
What does est-ce que do in this sentence?
It turns the statement into a question. Pourquoi means 'why'. By putting est-ce que right after it, you signal that a question is coming. This allows you to keep the normal subject-verb order (tu n'as pas) instead of swapping them around. It is a very common way to ask questions in everyday French.
Does argent mean 'silver' or 'money'?
It can mean both! However, in everyday conversations like this one, argent is the standard French word for 'money'. You will usually only translate it as 'silver' when the context is clearly about metals or jewelry.

Learn Pourquoi est-ce que tu n'as pas d'argent 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
Start learning French →