Pas encore or ne… plus? Not yet and no longer in French

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Put not yet and no longer on a simple timeline. Compare message updates, check word order with avoir and practise six short French status changes.

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In short

Ne… pas encore means “not yet”: the expected stage has not been reached. Ne… plus means “no longer” or “not any more”: a previous situation has ended. Compare Je ne travaille pas encore ici with Je ne travaille plus ici.

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A person finishing a message on a laptop at a French home desk, screen turned completely away from viewer, friend waiting beside table.
Je ne l’ai pas encore envoyé leaves the next step open. Illustration: Atelier

What is the difference between pas encore and ne… plus?

One activity across three stages
StageFrenchEnglish
Before the startJe ne travaille pas encore ici.I don’t work here yet.
DuringJe travaille ici.I work here.
After the endJe ne travaille plus ici.I don’t work here any more.
Les messages de Lina
  1. Nora

    Tu as envoyé le message au groupe ?

    Have you sent the message to the group?

  2. Lina

    Non, je ne l’ai pas encore envoyé. Je le termine.

    No, I haven’t sent it yet. I’m finishing it.

  3. Nora

    Tu utilises toujours notre ancienne adresse ?

    Are you still using our old address?

  4. Lina

    Non, je ne l’utilise plus. J’ai la nouvelle.

    No, I don’t use it any more. I have the new one.

Where do pas encore and ne… plus go in a sentence?

Je n’ai pas encore répondu.I haven’t replied yet.

Focus: replying is still pending

ne + auxiliary + pas encore + participle

Nous n’avons pas encore choisi.
We haven’t chosen yet.

Je ne réponds plus à cette adresse.I no longer reply at this address.

Focus: an earlier habit has stopped

ne + verb + plus

Elle ne publie plus de vidéos.
She doesn’t post videos any more.

Before a vowel, ne becomes n’: je n’ai pas encore répondu. With an object pronoun, keep it next to the verb: je ne l’utilise plus. To say “no longer”, use plus in place of pas: je ne réponds plus.

Je n’ai pas encore reçu de réponse.

I haven’t received a reply yet.

The reply has not arrived by now. “Not yet” leaves the next stage open; it gives no deadline.

  • Je ne réponds pas plus à cette adresse.Je ne réponds plus à cette adresse.

    For “I no longer reply”, use ne… plus. Keep pas encore for “not yet”.

Question 1No account needed
You are still writing; the message has not been sent.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je ne l’ai pas encore envoyé.. The sending is pending. Use ne… pas encore around the auxiliary: je ne l’ai pas encore envoyé.

Question 2No account needed
You used to publish videos. You stopped last month.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je ne publie plus de vidéos.. Ne… plus marks the end of the earlier activity.

Question 3No account needed
Choose the correct placement with the auxiliary.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je n’ai pas encore reçu de réponse.. In this compound tense, pas encore follows ai and precedes reçu.

Question 4No account needed
Complete with “not yet”.Je ne suis ___ prêt. Attends deux minutes.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

pas encore. The speaker needs another two minutes, so the ready stage has not been reached.

Question 5No account needed
Complete with “no longer”.Nous ne travaillons ___ ensemble. Paul a changé d’équipe.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

plus. Paul changed teams; the previous situation of working together has ended.

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