Chapter 7: La Négation (The Negative Sandwich)
To say "not" in French, you don't just add a word. You build a sandwich.
The Sandwich Rule
In English, we say "I do not eat". In French, we wrap the verb in two words: Ne and Pas.
The Formula
Subject
+
Ne
+
VERB
+
Pas
"Je ne suis pas fatigué."
(I am not tired)
Analogy: Ne and Pas are the bread. The Verb is the meat. You cannot have a sandwich without both slices of bread!
Part 2: The "Vowel Crunch" (Elision)
If the verb starts with a Vowel or H, the "Ne" gets crushed.
Ne → N'
Before A, E, I, O, U, Y, H
Negative
Je n'ai pas
(I do not have)
Part 3: Drill - Negating Identity (Être)
| Person |
Positive |
Negative (The Sandwich) |
| I (Je) |
Je suis |
Je ne suis pas
|
| You (Tu) |
Tu es |
Tu n'es pas
|
| He (Il) |
Il est |
Il n'est pas
|
| We (Nous) |
Nous sommes |
Nous ne sommes pas
|
Part 4: Negating Magic Verbs (Modals)
CRITICAL: Keep the sandwich tight! The sandwich goes around the first verb (the conjugated one). The second verb operates safely outside the sandwich.
Je ne veux pas manger.
"I do not want to eat."
Je veux ne manger pas.
NO! Don't let the meat fall out!
The Negator 3000
Test the machine. Click "Negate!" to apply the logic instantly.
Practice The Sandwich
Download the negation deck to master the "Ne... Pas" speed.