Breakdown of Ils ne refusent pas l'accord à Paris ? Si.
ils
they (masculine/mixed)
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
à
at / to / in (general locations) / about (what one thinks about / reacts to)
Paris
Paris
si
yes (answering a negative question)
refuser
to refuse
l'accord
the agreement (m)
Questions & Answers about Ils ne refusent pas l'accord à Paris ? Si.
Why is the answer si instead of oui?
When someone asks a negative question (using ne...pas) and you want to contradict them by saying yes, you must use si. If you used oui, a French speaker might be confused about whether you agree with the negative statement or are trying to contradict it.
Does si mean anything else in French?
How would I reply if I wanted to agree and say no, they aren't refusing it?
You would simply answer with non. Just like in English, if you want to agree with the negative question (meaning they are indeed not refusing it), you use non.
Can I use est-ce que to ask a negative question like this?
Yes, you could say Est-ce qu'ils ne refusent pas l'accord à Paris ? However, simply using the normal statement word order with a question mark at the end (and a rising intonation when speaking) is very common and natural in everyday French.
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