Paul ne veut pas étudier ce soir.

Paul does not want to study tonight.

Breakdown of Paul ne veut pas étudier ce soir.

• Paul: Paul
• ne ... pas: not
• étudier: to study
• vouloir: to want
• le soir: the evening

Questions & Answers about Paul ne veut pas étudier ce soir.

Why is ne placed before veut and pas after it?

In French, negation typically occurs by surrounding the conjugated verb with ne... pas. So you have Paul ne veut pas étudier. The word ne goes before the verb (veut) and pas goes right after it.

Is there any change in meaning if I take out ne or pas?

Yes, removing ne or pas would change the meaning. Ne... pas together form the standard way to say not. If you remove them, the sentence would say Paul veut étudier ce soir, which means the opposite: Paul wants to study tonight.

Why do we say veut instead of veux?

Veut is the third-person singular form of the verb vouloir (meaning to want). Veux is used for the first-person (je veux) and second-person (tu veux) singular forms. Since Paul is a third-person subject, we use il veut.

How do I pronounce étudier?

Pronounce it as ay-too-dee-ay. The stress is generally on the last syllable in French, so it’s easier to think of it as ay-too-dyAY.

What does ce soir mean, and why is it at the end of the sentence?

Ce soir means this evening/tonight. In French, time expressions often come at the beginning or end of a sentence. Placing ce soir at the end is very common to specify when Paul doesn’t want to study.