AtelierLe journal · French, understood
English

Language

The course

Updated

Phrasebook

N’est-ce pas ? French phrases for checking a detail

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Keep n’est-ce pas fixed when you check a date, a plan or an assumption. Practise confirmation exchanges and answer a negative statement clearly with si.

In short

Add n’est-ce pas ? to a statement when you want confirmation: Le rendez-vous est demain, n’est-ce pas ? The tag stays the same with every subject and tense. It often sounds more formal than a short everyday check such as C’est bien demain ?

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out

A visitor and receptionist confirm an arrangement at a counter.
N’est-ce pas ? checks a detail with the listener. Illustration: Atelier
1

Confirm the time

You already have a time in mind. Ask the listener to check it.

YouLe rendez-vous est à dix heures, n’est-ce pas ?The appointment is at ten, isn’t it?
Your contactOui, à dix heures précises.Yes, at ten sharp.
YouEt vous serez disponible, n’est-ce pas ?And you’ll be available, won’t you?
Your contactOui, je serai là.Yes, I’ll be there.
2

Correct the proposed detail

The tag invites a reply. Give the correct detail if the proposal is wrong.

YouLa réunion est lundi, n’est-ce pas ?The meeting is on Monday, isn’t it?
Your contactNon, elle est mardi.No, it’s on Tuesday.
YouMardi à neuf heures, c’est bien ça ?Tuesday at nine, is that right?
Your contactOui, c’est bien ça.Yes, that’s right.
3

Overturn a negative statement

Use si to contradict the negative main statement. The full reply makes the correction clear.

YouVous n’êtes pas disponible vendredi, n’est-ce pas ?You aren’t available on Friday, are you?
Your contactSi, je suis disponible vendredi matin.Yes, I am available on Friday morning.
YouNous n’avons pas encore confirmé, n’est-ce pas ?We haven’t confirmed yet, have we?
Your contactNon, nous n’avons pas encore confirmé.No, we haven’t confirmed yet.
4

Make a short everyday check

With a friend, a brief question is often more natural than repeating the full tag.

YouOn se retrouve à dix heures, c’est ça ?We’re meeting at ten, right?
Your contactOui, à dix heures.Yes, at ten.
YouC’est bien demain ?It is tomorrow, right?
Your contactOui, demain matin.Yes, tomorrow morning.

How do you use n’est-ce pas?

The French tag stays the same
FrenchEnglish
Elle viendra, n’est-ce pas ?She’ll come, won’t she?
Ils ont confirmé, n’est-ce pas ?They’ve confirmed, haven’t they?
Vous comprenez, n’est-ce pas ?You understand, don’t you?

Keep the apostrophe in n’est and the hyphen in est-ce. A comma separates the statement from the tag. In n’est-ce pas ?, ce stays fixed; it does not become elle or ils to match an English tag.

À quelle heure est le rendez-vous ?

What time is the appointment?

Use an open question when you need the time itself. A tag offers a time for confirmation.

Question 1No account needed
Choose the fixed tag.Ils viendront demain, ___

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

n’est-ce pas ?. The confirmation tag is always n’est-ce pas, even after a plural subject.

Question 2No account needed
You are available on Friday. Correct this assumption.Vous n’êtes pas disponible vendredi, n’est-ce pas ?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Si, je suis disponible vendredi.. Si contradicts vous n’êtes pas disponible. The full clause states your availability.

Question 3No account needed
You have no proposed time. Ask for the time.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

À quelle heure est le rendez-vous ?. The open question asks for the time directly; it supplies no proposed time to confirm.

Keep going