French Negation ~ Négation français
Lessons and quizzes on every French aspect of French negation
Negation
A summary of all the different negative structures and their uses in French,
plus detailed explanations of each kind of negative structure, including the ne explétif,
ne littéraire, and more.
Double Negatives
Grammarians insist that two negatives make a positive. While this may be true
in English, in French two
negatives make a stronger negative. Double negation is very common in
French, particularly informal French. However, there are some rules and
regulations when using double negatives in French.
Formal Negation
There are three negative structures particular to formal French. While they
are not unheard of in spoken French, they are most commonly found in
writing, especially literature.
Negative Adjectives - Adjectifs négatifs (Ne... Aucun, Nul, Pas Un)
French negative adjectives, sometimes called indefinite negative adjectives,
are made up of two parts which surround the verb. Negative adjectives negate,
refuse, or cast doubt on a quality of the noun they modify.
Negative Adverbs - Adverbes négatifs (Ne... Pas, Plus, Jamais...)
Making sentences negative in French is a bit different than in English, due to the two-part negative
adverb and the sometimes difficult issue of placement. Normally, ne...pas is the first negative
adverb that we learn. But there are actually many negative adverbs used just
like it, so once you understand ne...pas, you can make just about any sentence negative.
Ne pas - Negating Infinitives
Why is
ne pas sometimes used without a verb in the middle? Because it's
followed by an infinitive.
Pas ~ French Negative Adverb
The French negative adverb
pas is often
used in conjunction with ne, but pas can also be used all on its own. The
main difference is that ne... pas is used to negate a verb, while pas
without ne is used to negate an adjective, adverb, noun, or some other
non-verbal construction. Pas can also be used to confirm a
statement.
Informal Negation - Pas
without Ne
If you've ever watched French movies or television, or chatted with native
speakers, you have almost certainly heard pas (or another negative
adverb) without ne, as this is a typical characteristic of informal and
familiar French. Although it is nearly always written, ne is often
dropped in spoken French.
Negative Pronouns - Pronoms négatifs (Ne... Personne, Rien...)
French negative pronouns, sometimes called indefinite negative pronouns, are used to negate, refuse, or cast doubt on the existence
of the noun that they replace.
Ne explétif (Ne... )
The ne explétif is used after certain verbs and conjunctions. It has no negative value in and of itself and is used in situations where the main clause has a negative meaning.
Ne littéraire (Ne cesser, n'oser, ne pouvoir,
ne savoir)
In literary or other formal writing, certain verbs don't need
pas.
Designate an unspecified person, thing, or characteristic.
Non
Saying no is pretty simple, but there are quite a few synonyms and precisions to be
aware of. Check out this lesson to learn how to say no, not a chance, I don't think so,
and more.
Only / Not Only - Ne... que, Seulement, and their negatives
There are two common French equivalents for the restrictive only in English:
ne... que and
seulement. These two terms mean essentially the same
thing, but their negative forms are a bit more complicated.
Passive Infinitive
Even though the French infinitive translates as "to + verb," the French sometimes
needs to be preceded by a preposition. This is the case with the passive
infinitive, which is commonly used with indefinite and negative words.
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