Negation in speech — dropping ne

Negation in speech — dropping ne means “In casual speech ne is dropped: il vient pas, y a personne — informal, keep ne in writing”. In everyday spoken French the first part of the negation, ne, is very often dropped, leaving only pas, plus, rien, jamais, personne: J'sais pas, il vient pas, y a personne, c'est pas grave. Formation: (ne) … pas → il vient pas / y a personne (oral familier)

In casual speech ne is dropped: il vient pas, y a personne — informal, keep ne in writing

B1

Formation

(ne) … pas → il vient pas / y a personne (oral familier)

Explanation

In everyday spoken French the first part of the negation, ne, is very often dropped, leaving only pas, plus, rien, jamais, personne: J'sais pas, il vient pas, y a personne, c'est pas grave. This is informal but extremely common in conversation. You should understand it, but keep the full ne … pas in writing and in formal or careful speech.

Examples

Il vient pas ce soir, il est fatigué.
He's not coming tonight, he's tired. (informal)
Y a personne dans la rue à cette heure-ci.
There's no one in the street at this hour. (informal)

FAQ

Negation in speech — dropping ne — what does it mean and how is it used?

In casual speech ne is dropped: il vient pas, y a personne — informal, keep ne in writing. In everyday spoken French the first part of the negation, ne, is very often dropped, leaving only pas, plus, rien, jamais, personne: J'sais pas, il vient pas, y a personne, c'est pas grave. This is informal but extremely common in conversation. You should understand it, but keep the full ne … pas in writing and in formal or careful speech.

Negation in speech — dropping ne — how do you form it?

(ne) … pas → il vient pas / y a personne (oral familier)

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