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Build French negative sentences: where ne and pas go
Tap the word tiles to build negative French sentences. Ne goes before the verb, pas after it, and pronouns stay inside. Eight sentences to rebuild.
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In short
Ne goes before the conjugated verb and pas right after it: Je ne mange pas. Object pronouns stay inside the sandwich (je ne le vois pas). In the passé composé, ne… pas wraps the auxiliary: je n'ai pas mangé.
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| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| sujet + ne + verbe + pas | Il ne travaille pas. |
| ne + pronom + verbe + pas | Je ne la connais pas. |
| ne + auxiliaire + pas + participe | Nous n'avons pas fini. |
| ne pas + infinitif | Je préfère ne pas sortir. |
Tap the words in the right order. Tap a placed word to send it back.
I don't speak English.
She doesn't eat meat.
We aren't ready.
I don't know him.
He didn't understand the question.
Aren't you coming tonight?
They never watch TV.
I'd rather not answer.
Where do ne and pas go in a French sentence?
French negation has two parts so that it can wrap the verb tightly. Everything that is attached to the verb (subject pronoun excepted) goes inside: object pronouns, y, en. Only with an infinitive do both parts come together before it: ne pas toucher. In casual speech the ne often disappears (je sais pas), but write it.
- Je ne pas mange.Je ne mange pas.
Pas goes after the verb.
- Je n'ai mangé pas.Je n'ai pas mangé.
In compound tenses, pas follows the auxiliary.
- Je ne veux pas de le voir.Je ne veux pas le voir.
No de before an infinitive here.