How French works

Other points about negatives

1 Negating nouns, phrases

1.1 Pas

Pas is most commonly used where there is no verb :

Il n'y a plus de riz - Pas de problème

We've run out of rice - No problem

Marie est de retour? - Pas encore

Is Marie back? - Not yet

Pierre adore les anchois. Pas moi!

Pierre adores anchovies. I don't!

1.2 Non

Non is used when negating a whole preceding sentence:

Tu as pris l'appareil-photo? - Non

Did you bring the camera? - No (I didn't)

1.3 Non and pas

Both non and pas are used where a negative contrasts with a positive. Here non pas can also be used to create emphasis:

La bière anglaise se boit fraîche mais pas / non glacée 

English beer is drunk cool but not chilled

Je lui ai dit de venir mercredi, non pas jeudi!

I told him / her to come on Wednesday, not on Thursday!

2 Ne ... que

2.1 General

The que is placed before the noun to which the sense of the word only refers:

Je ne nettoie la cuisine que le mardi

I only clean the kitchen on Tuesdays

Je ne nettoie que la cuisine le mardi

On Tuesdays I only clean the kitchen

2.2 Applied to subject

Ne ... que can also be applied to a subject , but in this case it must be introduced by il y a:

Il n'y a que moi qui nettoie la cuisine le mardi

Only I clean the kitchen on Tuesdays

2.3 Applied to verb

Ne ... que can also be applied to a verb , but only indirectly by using the construction ne faire que:

Le mardi je ne fais que ranger la cuisine, je ne la nettoie pas

On Tuesdays I only tidy the kitchen, I don't clean it

3 Ne with no negative meaning

Sometimes ne is used in French without having the force of a negative (this is sometimes called the expletive ne). It is used in the following circumstances:

3.1 With certain conjunctions

With the conjunctions avant que, à moins que, de crainte que, de peur que:

Je serai partie avant que tu ne reviennes

I will have left before you come back

3.2 With certain verb constructions

With the verb constructions craindre que, avoir peur que, redouter que, éviter que, empêcher que:

Je crains qu'il ne soit trop tard pour l'arrêter

I fear it is too late to stop him / her / it

3.3 In comparative phrases

Optionally, in comparative phrases involving plus que or moins que plus a verb :

Il est moins grand que je ne le pensais

He is smaller than I thought

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How French Works was written and coded by Chris Dawson.