Languages › French French Negation La Négation Share Flipboard Email Print Birgid Allig / Getty Images French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Team Updated on November 17, 2019 Making sentences negative in French is a bit more complicated than in English. This summary of the different kinds of negation and negation-related grammatical structures should help clear up some of the confusion. The title of each negation category links to a detailed lesson with examples of usage and a quiz. (Don't) just say non No, not a chance, I don't think so, and more. nonpas question ! Negative adverbs Negate or restrict the action of the verb they modify. ne... pasne... jamais Negative adjectives Negate or cast doubt on a quality of the noun they modify. ne... nulne... aucun Negative pronouns Negate or cast doubt on the existence of the noun they replace. ne... rienne... personne Negative conjunction There's only one: ne... ni... ni... Negative questions There's a special French word to respond yes when someone else says no.lt;br> - Non.- Si ! Negating infinitives 2-part negative structures stay together in front of infinitives. Ne pas toucher.Ne jamais fermer. N'importe... expressions Designate an unspecified person, thing, or characteristic. n'importe quin'importe quel... Pas Negate a non-verbal structure. pas beaucouppas souvent Double negatives Two negatives don't make a positive in French. Ce n'est pas rien.Je n'ai jamais vu personne. Formal negation There are three negative structures particular to formal French. ne... pointavant qu'il ne... Informal negationNe is often dropped in spoken French. Je sais pas.Bouge pas ! Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "French Negation." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/types-of-french-negation-1368880. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). French Negation. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-french-negation-1368880 Team, ThoughtCo. "French Negation." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-french-negation-1368880 (accessed June 4, 2023). copy citation By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies