Question 1

How does the negative "never" work in this sentence with ne... jamais?

Accepted Answer

It works exactly like ne... pas! You put ne before the conjugated verb and jamais right after it. In this sentence, they go around the verb préparons to make ne préparons jamais (never prepare).

Question 2

Why isn't there a nous before ne préparons jamais?

Accepted Answer

Just like in English, you don't always have to repeat the subject if it hasn't changed. Since nous is the subject of the first half, it carries over to the second half. The -ons ending on préparons also makes it perfectly clear who is doing the action.

Question 3

Why is the verb cuisiner left in its dictionary form instead of being conjugated?

Accepted Answer

When two verbs appear right next to each other in French, only the first one is conjugated to match the subject. Here, détestons is conjugated to match nous, so the second verb, cuisiner (to cook), must stay in its infinitive (dictionary) form.

Question 4

Why do we say le dîner instead of just dîner?

Accepted Answer

In French, nouns almost always need an article in front of them, like le, la, or les, even when English drops them. When talking about general concepts or meals, French requires the definite article, so dinner becomes le dîner.

Nous détestons cuisiner et ne préparons jamais le dîner.

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