<p>Forming negative sentences in French is straightforward once you understand the basic structure. Unlike English, French uses two parts to create a negative: 'ne' and 'pas'.</p>
<h2>Basic Structure</h2>
<p>The basic formula for negative sentences in French is:</p>
<p>Subject + ne + verb + pas + rest of the sentence</p>
<h2>Examples</h2>
<ul>
<li>Je ne parle pas français. (I don't speak French.)</li>
<li>Elle n'aime pas le café. (She doesn't like coffee.)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Contractions</h2>
<p>When 'ne' is followed by a word starting with a vowel or silent 'h', it becomes 'n'':</p>
<ul>
<li>Je n'ai pas de voiture. (I don't have a car.)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Common Negative Expressions</h2>
<p>Other words can replace 'pas' to express different types of negation:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ne... jamais (never)</li>
<li>Ne... plus (no longer/not anymore)</li>
<li>Ne... rien (nothing)</li>
</ul>
<p>Examples:</p>
<ul>
<li>Je ne mange jamais de viande. (I never eat meat.)</li>
<li>Il ne travaille plus ici. (He no longer works here.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Remember, in informal spoken French, the 'ne' is often dropped, but it's important to use it in written French and formal situations.</p>
<p>Practice these structures to confidently express negation in French!</p>


How to form negative sentences in French

Basic Structure

Examples

Contractions

Common Negative Expressions

Also Read

What is leçon.ai?