1. How to negate sentences: expressing “NOT” in French

2. Do we already know An example?
Oui! Remember this song?
Bonjour, bonjour! Comment ça va?
Ça ne va pas!
Ah oui! Pourquoi pas?

3. How to Negate Sentences: Expressing “NOT” in French
Place ne…pas around the conjugated verb
ne becomes n’ in front a vowel
Je n’ai pas le stylo.
I do not have the pen. / I don’t have the pen.
Je ne suis pas le prof.
I am not the teacher. / I’m not the teacher.

4. Think of ne…pas as the bread of the verb sandwich

5. Il n’a pas faim.
He isn’t hungry. / He is not hungry.
Elle n’a pas froid.
She isn’t cold. / She is not cold.
On n’a pas raison.
We aren’t right. / We are not right. (informal)
One isn’t right. / One is not right. (general)
Nous n’avons pas 12 ans.
We aren’t 12 years old. / We are not 12 years old. (formal)
Tu n’as pas chaud.
You aren’t hot. / You are not hot.
Vous n’avez pas peur.
You all aren’t scared. /You all are not scared.
You aren’t scared. / You are not scared. (formal, singular)
Ils n’ont pas de la chance.
They aren’t lucky. / They are not lucky.

6. Special case: indefinite articles
If you are negating a sentence with an indefinite article, follow these rules
As-tu un stylo?
Do you have a pen?
Non, je n’ai pas DE stylo.
No, I don’t have a pen/any pens.
As-tu des stylos?
Do you have any pens?
Non, je n’ai pas DE stylos.
No, I don’t have any pens.
Replace un/une/des with DE / D’
if you are negating a sentence.
*ded’ in front of vowels
Je n’ai pas d’agrafeuse.
(I don’t have a stapler.)

7. You could respond like this… Je n’ai pas de cahiers.
Definite articles
Keep the definite article when negating.
As-tu le cahier?
Do you have the notebook?
Non, je n’ai pas le cahier.
No, I don’t have the notebook.
As-tu les livres?
Do you have the books?
Non, je n’ai pas les livres.
No, I don’t have the books.
You could respond like this…
Je n’ai pas de cahiers.
Je n’ai pas de livres.
…but notice how the meaning is changed:
I don’t have ANY notebooks.
I don’t have ANY books.

8. I don’t have a calculator. You don’t have any paper.
Comment dit-on….?
I don’t have a calculator.
Je n’ai pas de calculatrice.
You don’t have any paper.
Tu n’as pas de papier.
He doesn’t have any homework.
Il n’a pas de devoirs.