Breakdown of Fais attention à ne pas oublier ton parapluie.
ton
your
ne ... pas
not
à
to
oublier
to forget
le parapluie
the umbrella
faire attention
to be careful
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Questions & Answers about Fais attention à ne pas oublier ton parapluie.
Why is the sentence Fais attention à ne pas oublier ton parapluie and not something like Ne fais pas attention à oublier ton parapluie?
Because the negative ne…pas in this sentence applies to the infinitive oublier, not to the imperative fais attention.
- Fais attention means “pay attention” or “be careful.”
- à ne pas oublier literally “to not forget.”
If you put the negation around fais attention, i.e. Ne fais pas attention, it means “don’t pay attention,” which is the opposite of what you want.
Why do we use à ne pas oublier instead of de ne pas oublier?
The verb phrase faire attention governs the preposition à when it’s followed by an infinitive or noun.
- Correct: faire attention à
- verb/noun
- Old-fashioned or literary: faire attention de exists but is rare in modern French.
Therefore you always link faire attention with à, even when you insert the negative.
Could I simplify it and just say N’oublie pas ton parapluie?
Yes.
- N’oublie pas ton parapluie = “Don’t forget your umbrella.”
That’s shorter and perfectly idiomatic.
Fais attention à ne pas… adds a nuance of warning or caution (“be sure not to…,” “take care not to…”).
Why is it ton parapluie and not votre parapluie?
Because the imperative fais is singular and informal (tu-form).
- With “tu,” you use ton (masculine singular).
If you addressed someone formally or a group, you’d say: - Faites attention à ne pas oublier votre parapluie.
Why ton and not ta parapluie?
Because parapluie is a masculine noun (un parapluie).
- Masculine singular → ton.
If the noun were feminine (e.g. ma valise), you’d use ta.
Is there any difference between faire attention à + infinitive and penser à + infinitive?
Yes:
- faire attention à ne pas… = “take care not to…,” emphasizes caution.
- penser à = “remember to…,” emphasizes recollection or memory.
Example:
• Fais attention à ne pas glisser. (“Be careful not to slip.”)
• Pense à prendre tes clés. (“Remember to take your keys.”)
Could you also say Fais gaffe à ne pas oublier ton parapluie?
Informally, yes.
- Fais gaffe = colloquial for “watch out” or “be careful.”
But note register: - Fais attention is neutral.
- Fais gaffe is very casual, spoken style.