Negative words in French
Negative words in French are used to negate statements, express denial, or indicate the absence of something. Here is a list of common negative words in French:
Short video:
Negative words in French
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Pas | Do not |
| Plus | Not anymore /no longer |
| Jamais | Never |
| Rien | Nothing |
| Personne | Nobody or no one |
| Aucun | Aucune |
| Ni…ni | Neither…nor |
| Sans | Without |
| Guère | Hardly |
Pas – The most common negative word used in French.
Example : Je ne veux pas. (I don’t want.)
Plus – Translates to “not anymore” or “no longer.”
Example : Il ne travaille plus ici. (He doesn’t work here anymore.)
Jamais – Means “never.”
Example : Je ne mange jamais de viande. (I never eat meat.)
Rien – Means “nothing.”
Example : Je n’ai rien vu. (I saw nothing.)
Personne – Means “nobody” or “no one.”
Example : Personne ne sait. (Nobody knows.)
Aucun(e) – Means “no” or “none.”
Example : Je n’ai aucun problème. (I have no problems.)
Nul(le) – Means “none” or “no one.”
Example : Ce film n’est nullement intéressant. (This movie is not interesting at all.)
Ni…ni – Used to express “neither…nor.”
Example : Je ne bois ni café ni thé. (I drink neither coffee nor tea.)
Sans – Means “without.”
Example : Il est sorti sans dire au revoir. (He left without saying goodbye.)
Guère – Means “hardly” or “scarcely.”
Example : Il ne mange guère. (He hardly eats.)
These negative words can be used individually or combined in a sentence to convey different levels of negation or to emphasize the absence or denial of something.
Short dictation video
Practice the negative words here :
Basic Grammar for level 1 – List
1. The alphabet: L’alphabet
2. French Silent Letters: Lettres muettes françaises
3. French Letter Combinations: Combinaisons de lettres (Practice)
4. Articles: Articles
5. Masculine or feminine nouns: Noms masculins ou féminins
6. The interrogative form: la forme interrogative
a) Question words : Les mots interrogatifs
7. Prepositions(go, come – present) (Practice)
a) The preposition “à”
b) The preposition “de”
c) “Pour” Explained: For vs. To
8. French expressions:
a) Two words
b) Three words
9. Accents: Accents
10. Liaison: Liaison
11. Possessive adjectives: Adjectifs possessifs (Practice)
12. The negative form: La forme négative
a) Negative words in French: Les mots négatifs en français
13. C’est – Il est – elle est: It is – He is – she is
14. Quiz Game Level 1: Quiz
Basic Conjugation for L1
1. Personal Pronouns: Personal Pronouns
a) Subject pronouns: Pronoms sujets
b) You or you: Tu or vous
c) (Practice)
2.Infinitive and conjugated verbs
3. The verb to be: Le verbe être
4. The verb to have: Le verbe avoir
5. The verb to go: Le verbe aller
6. The verb to do: Le verbe faire
7. To be, To have, To go, To do
8. ER Verbs : (Phonetic pronunciation)
9. IR Verbs: (Phonetic pronunciation)
10. RE Verbs: (Phonetic pronunciation)
11. Sentences with ER verbs
12. Sentences with IR verbs
13. Sentences with RE verbs
14. Most Common French Verbs
15. REGULAR Verbs:
a) (Verbes)
b) (Sentences)
c) (Practice)
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