1. NEGATION FOR ANY/ALL VERBS
HOW TO NEGATE THEM;
HOW TO FORM THE NEGATIVE

2. IN FRENCH, THE NEGATIVE (“NOT”) IS COMPOSED OF TWO PARTS:
STEP 1
IN FRENCH, THE NEGATIVE (“NOT”) IS COMPOSED OF TWO PARTS:
“NE” AND “PAS”

3. STEP 2
THESE TWO PARTS GO TOGETHER IN FRONT OF AN INFINITIVE (“TO” + VERB)
EXAMPLE:
NOT TO GIVE = NE PAS DONNER
NOT TO BE = NE PAS ÊTRE
NOT TO HAVE = NE PAS AVOIR

4. THEY GO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONJUGATED VERB
STEP 3
HOWEVER, WHEN YOU CONJUGATE A VERB, THE TWO PARTS SPLIT UP AND GO AROUND THE VERB
THEY GO ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONJUGATED VERB

5. EXAMPLE 1 “DONNER” = TO GIVE “NE PAS DONNER” = NOT TO GIVE
JE NE DONNE PAS = I DO NOT GIVE, I DON’T GIVE, I AM NOT GIVING, I’M NOT GIVING
TU NE DONNES PAS= YOU DO NOT GIVE, YOU DON’T GIVE, YOU ARE NOT GIVING, YOU’RE NOT GIVING, YOU AREN’T GIVING
IL NE DONNE PAS= HE DOES NOT GIVE, HE DOESN’T GIVE,
HE IS NOT GIVING, HE ISN’T GIVING, HE’S NOT GIVING
ELLE NE DONNE PAS = SHE DOES NOT GIVE, SHE DOESN’T GIVE, SHE IS NOT GIVING, SHE ISN’T GIVING, SHE’S NOT GIVING
ON NE DONNE PAS= ONE DOES NOT GIVE, ONE DOESN’T GIVE, ONE IS NOT GIVING, ONE ISN’T GIVING, ONE’S NOT GIVING

6. EXAMPLE 1 (CONT.)
NOUS NE DONNONS PAS= WE DO NOT GIVE, WE DON’T GIVE, WE ARE NOT GIVING, WE AREN’T GIVING, WE’RE NOT GIVING
VOUS NE DONNEZ PAS= YOU DO NOT GIVE, YOU DON’T GIVE, YOU ARE NOT GIVING, YOU AREN’T GIVING, YOU’RE NOT GIVING
ILS NE DONNENT PAS= THEY DO NOT GIVE, THEY DON’T GIVE, THEY ARE NOT GIVING, THEY AREN’T GIVING, THEY’RE NOT GIVING
ELLES NE DONNENT PAS= THEY DO NOT GIVE, THEY DON’T GIVE, THEY ARE NOT GIVING, THEY AREN’T GIVING, THEY’RE NOT GIVING

7. ATTENTION! HOWEVER, YOU MUST BE CAREFUL OF ONE LITTLE DETAIL:
WHEN THE VERB BEGINS WITH A VOWEL OR “H” MUTE, YOU CANNOT HAVE THE VOWEL “E” FROM “NE” NEXT TO THE VERB, SO YOU MUST DROP IT AND PUT IN AN APOSTROPHE.

8. EXAMPLE 2 = “NE PAS ÊTRE” FOR THE SINGULAR:
1ST PERSON “I” = “JE” = JE NE SUIS PAS
2ND PERSON “YOU” = “TU” = TU N’ES PAS
3RD PERSON M. “HE” = “IL” = IL N’EST PAS
3RD PERSON F. “SHE” = “ELLE” = ELLE N’EST PAS
3RD PERSON ? “ONE” = “ON” = ON N’EST PAS

9. EXAMPLE 2 (CONT.) FOR THE PLURAL:
1ST PERSON = “WE” = NOUS NE SOMMES PAS
2ND PERSON = “YOU” = VOUS N’ÊTES PAS
3RD PERSON M. “THEY” = ILS NE SONT PAS
3RD PERSON F. “THEY” = ELLES NE SONT PAS

10. EXAMPLE 3 = “NE PAS AVOIR”
JE N’AI PAS NOUS N’AVONS PAS
TU N’AS PAS VOUS N’AVEZ PAS
IL N’A PAS ILS N’ONT PAS
ELLE N’A PAS ELLES N’ONT PAS
ON N’A PAS