Ce n'est pas grave.

to be

Breakdown of Ce n'est pas grave.

• ne ... pas: not
• ce: this
• grave: serious

Questions & Answers about Ce n'est pas grave.

What does each word in Ce n'est pas grave literally mean?

Word by word:

• Ce – literally this or it/that. Here it’s a vague subject: It / That.
• n' – the first part of French negation (ne), shortened before a vowel.
• est – is (3rd person singular of être – to be).
• pas – not (the second part of negation).
• grave – serious, severe, important (in the sense of something being a big deal).

So literally: This/It is not serious, which in natural English is It’s not a big deal / It doesn’t matter / No problem.

Why is it ce n'est pas grave and not il n'est pas grave?