A- Prefix
negation
French Negation
Négation
Lessons on all the different types of French negation: negative adverbs, adjectives, pronouns, and conjunctions, plus different ways to say no, nothing, no one, and never.
negation • prefixes • spelling
Double Negatives
In English, two negatives are said to make a positive: that is, they cancel one another out, and this is grammatically unacceptable. In French, however, négation double is alive and well. Two negatives sometimes make a positive, while other times they combine to make the negation stronger or more specific. Du tout
Expressions with (ne …) pas
Formal Negation
French has three negative constructions that are reserved for formal (usually written) French like literature and historical accounts. B2 - Upper-Intermediate French • formalities • negation
Indefinite and Partitive Articles Reduced to De
With articles, the de vs du, de la, des choice has to do with affirmative/negative and whether there's an adjective in front of the noun. adjectives • articles • negation • plurals • prepositions
Informal Negation
The rule is that to make a French verb negative, you need ne in front of the verb and pas after it. The reality of how the French speak says otherwise. B1 - Intermediate French • informalities • negation
Inversion: Word Order
Inverting subjects and verbs is easy enough - vous voyez => voyez-vous, but where do object, adverbial, and reflexive pronouns go? And what about negation? Take a look at this lesson to learn about all the possibilities. negation • pronouns • word order
N’importe
N'importe literally means "no matter" or "(it) doesn't matter." This indefinite expression can precede an interrogative adjective, adverb, or pronoun when talking about something indefinite or non-specific. adjectives • adverbs • indefinition • negation • pronouns
Ne explétif
Don't worry, it's not a swear word. In French, explétif is a grammatical term that serves only to draw attention to what precedes it. B2 - Upper-Intermediate French • formalities • negation
Ne littéraire
In formal, usually written French, there are certain verbs and constructions that can be made negative with just ne - the inclusion of pas or some other negative word is not required. C1 - Advanced French • formalities • negation
Negative Adjectives
French negative adjectives are used to negate or refuse nouns. Like other negative structures, negative adjectives have two parts. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • adjectives • negation • word order
Negative Adverbs
Negative adverbs turn affirmative statements and questions into negative statements and questions. The most common English negative adverb is the word "not," but French is a little more complicated - quelle surprise ! ;-) A1 - Beginning French • adverbs • negation • word order
Negative Conjunctions
French has two closely related negative conjunctions: ni (nor) and ne ... ni ... ni (neither ... nor).
Negative Imperative
Telling someone not to do something is called, logically enough, a negative command.