AtelierLe journal · French, understood
English

Language

The course

Updated

Phrasebook

Negative French infinitives: ne pas, ne plus and ne jamais

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Learn ne pas oublier, ne plus attendre and ne jamais partager. Read useful requests, compare their meaning and choose the right negative infinitive.

In short

For a negative infinitive, put the negative words before the verb: ne pas oublier, ne plus attendre, ne jamais partager. Keep any object pronoun after them: ne pas le faire. An earlier preposition stays in place: essayer de ne pas oublier.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A man walks quietly past a woman studying in a French library.
Ne pas déranger keeps the reader’s quiet moment intact. Illustration: Atelier
1

A gentle reminder

Merci de introduces the infinitive request.

YouMerci de ne pas oublier notre rendez-vous.Please remember our appointment.
ColleagueC’est noté. Je serai là à dix heures.Noted. I’ll be there at ten.
YouMerci de ne pas me téléphoner pendant la réunion.Please do not phone me during the meeting.
2

Ending an old habit

Ne plus means stopping something that happened before.

YouJ’ai décidé de ne plus travailler le dimanche.I’ve decided not to work on Sundays any longer.
ColleagueTu as raison de garder du temps pour toi.You’re right to keep some time for yourself.
YouJe préfère ne plus en parler aujourd’hui.I’d rather not talk about it any more today.
3

A firm personal rule

Ne jamais means never, rather than just not today.

YouJ’essaie de ne jamais partager mon mot de passe.I try never to share my password.
ColleagueTu fais bien.That’s sensible.
YouJe préfère ne pas te le donner.I’d rather not give it to you.
The same action, three negative meanings
FrenchEnglish
ne pas répondrenot to reply
ne plus répondrenot to reply any more
ne jamais répondrenever to reply

J’essaie de ne pas déranger Nora.I’m trying not to disturb Nora.

Focus: The effort is positive; the disturbing is to be avoided.

essayer de + ne pas + infinitive

Je fais attention à ne pas parler trop fort.
I take care not to speak too loudly.

Je n’essaie pas de déranger Nora.I’m not trying to disturb Nora.

Focus: The trying is denied.

ne + conjugated verb + pas + de + infinitive

Je ne cherche pas à te convaincre.
I am not trying to convince you.

General instructions often use an infinitive: Ne pas déranger. A personal command changes the frame: Ne me dérange pas. With an infinitive, ne pas stays together even before a vowel: ne pas oublier. With a conjugated verb, use the usual elision: Je n’oublie pas.

Question 1No account needed
You are trying to remember the appointment.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

J’essaie de ne pas oublier le rendez-vous.. The effort remains positive. Ne pas comes before the infinitive oublier.

Question 2No account needed
You have stopped replying to these messages.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

J’ai décidé de ne plus répondre à ces messages.. Ne plus expresses the end of an earlier activity. It comes before répondre.

Question 3No account needed
Keep both pronouns: “I prefer not to tell you that”.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je préfère ne pas te le dire.. The negative infinitive starts with ne pas, followed by the pronouns te le, then dire.

Keep going