Lecture Notes: Simple Negations in French (Part 1)
Introduction
- Focus: Simple negations in present tense
- How to say "I don't do something" or "I am not"
- Future topics:
- Negations with "passé composé"
- Negations in questions
Key Concepts
- Simple Negations
- Comes in two parts: "ne...pas"
- Place the verb between "ne" and "pas"
Examples Explained
Example 1: "I am not a vegetarian"
- Without Negation:
- "I am vegetarian" = "Je suis végétarien/végétarienne"
- With Negation:
- "I am not vegetarian" = "Je ne suis pas végétarien/végétarienne"
- Insert "ne" before and "pas" after the verb "suis"
Example 2: "I don't speak French"
- Without Negation:
- "I speak French" = "Je parle français"
- With Negation:
- "I don't speak French" = "Je ne parle pas français"
- "Pas" indicates "not" in this structure
Example 3: "We cannot come tonight"
- Without Negation:
- "We can come tonight" = "Nous pouvons venir ce soir"
- With Negation:
- "We cannot come tonight" = "Nous ne pouvons pas venir ce soir"
- Focus on the conjugated verb "pouvons"
Example 4: "I am not waiting for you"
- Without Negation:
- "I am waiting for you" = "Je t'attends"
- With Negation:
- "I am not waiting for you" = "Je ne t'attends pas"
Example 5: "I do not eat carrots"
- Without Negation:
- "I eat carrots" = "Je mange des carottes"
- With Negation:
- "I do not eat carrots" = "Je ne mange pas de carottes"
- Note the change from "des" to "de" after negation
Example 6: "I do not walk in the woods"
- Without Negation:
- "I walk in the woods" = "Je marche dans les bois"
- With Negation:
- "I do not walk in the woods" = "Je ne marche pas dans les bois"
Conclusion
- Next Lesson:
- Using "ne...pas" in "passé composé" and questions
Additional Resources
Word of the Day
- Libellule: means "dragonfly" in French
Ensure to practice these structures in various examples to become more familiar with French negations in the present tense.