Put “not” around the verb.
Say “not” in French with ne … pas
An original website mini lesson · Learning On My Own
The idea
In standard written French, put ne before the conjugated verb and pas after it.
Je parle français.
I speak French.
Je ne parle pas français.
I do not speak French.
The verb parle stays in the middle. The two negative words go around it.
Before a vowel sound: n’
Ne becomes n’ before a vowel sound or a silent h. Keep pas after the verb.
J'aime le café. → Je n'aime pas le café.
I like coffee. → I do not like coffee.
Your turn
Make this negative: Tu comprends. (You understand.)
See the answer
Tu ne comprends pas.
You do not understand. Put ne before comprends and pas after it.
What you may hear
In everyday speech, people often leave out ne: “Je parle pas français.” Learn the full form first. This sample covers simple sentences; other negative forms need their own lessons.
This website sample is text only. Ascend's lessons and review cards include French audio.
Found something unclear? Send lesson feedback.