Learn French: Tu n'utilises même pas le marteau ! - You do not even use the hammer!

Tu n'utilises même pas le marteau !

You do not even use the hammer!

Breakdown of Tu n'utilises même pas le marteau !

you (informal singular)

not (used before the verb)

pas

not (used after the verb)

utiliser

to use

Questions & Answers about Tu n'utilises même pas le marteau !

Why is même placed between the verb and pas here?

When même means 'even' and is used in a negative sentence, it creates the structure ne [verb] même pas ('not even'). It sits right between the conjugated verb and pas. If you drop the ne in casual spoken French, it simply becomes Tu utilises même pas.

Could même mean 'yourself' in this sentence, as in 'You do not use the hammer yourself'?

No. To say 'yourself', you need the emphatic pronoun toi-même, which is usually placed at the end of the clause: Tu n'utilises pas le marteau toi-même ! When même stands alone before pas, it acts as an adverb meaning 'even'.

Would the meaning change if même was at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes! If you put it at the beginning, it modifies the subject rather than the verb. For example, Même toi, tu n'utilises pas le marteau ! means 'Even YOU do not use the hammer!' In our sentence, it modifies the verb to emphasize that you are not 'even using' it.