Negative words in French

Negative words in French are used to negate statements, express denial, or indicate the absence of something. Here is a list of common negative words in French:

Short video:

Negative words in French

French	English
Pas	Do not
Plus	Not anymore /no longer
Jamais	Never
Rien	Nothing
Personne	Nobody or no one
Aucun	Aucune
Ni…ni	Neither…nor
Sans	Without
Guère	Hardly

Pas – The most common negative word used in French.

Example : Je ne veux pas. (I don’t want.)

Plus – Translates to “not anymore” or “no longer.”

Example : Il ne travaille plus ici. (He doesn’t work here anymore.)

Jamais – Means “never.”

Example : Je ne mange jamais de viande. (I never eat meat.)

Rien – Means “nothing.”

Example : Je n’ai rien vu. (I saw nothing.)

Personne – Means “nobody” or “no one.”

Example : Personne ne sait. (Nobody knows.)

Aucun(e) – Means “no” or “none.”

Example : Je n’ai aucun problème. (I have no problems.)

Nul(le) – Means “none” or “no one.”

Example : Ce film n’est nullement intéressant. (This movie is not interesting at all.)

Ni…ni – Used to express “neither…nor.”

Example : Je ne bois ni café ni thé. (I drink neither coffee nor tea.)

Sans – Means “without.”

Example : Il est sorti sans dire au revoir. (He left without saying goodbye.)

Guère – Means “hardly” or “scarcely.”

Example : Il ne mange guère. (He hardly eats.)

These negative words can be used individually or combined in a sentence to convey different levels of negation or to emphasize the absence or denial of something.