Negative form in French (details that make a difference)

[@jmorra]

I cannot tell you how valuable it is to have a French teacher who tells you what you're likely to hear (sped up and contracted) versus slowed down. I have been pulling my hair out for years over this very thing: I study in books, but am lost in France. This teacher is the first one to help with this problem early in the game. He seems to understand my situation perfectly.

[@LanguageCity]

Merci, John! I'm glad it cleared things up! Did you see the other videos?

[@guduleharrisonya8426]

Men! I hope people realize how significant your lessons are; I definitely do! The nuances, variations, and differences between what is written or taught in books relative to colloquial French are not hightlighted enough, if at all, by other sources of French instruction. I really applaud your singular effort, Alex. Well done indeed!

[@LanguageCity]

Merci! Well, I sort of went through the same process learning English, so I know what it's like, and I can tell what's missing out there.

[@andrewdeakin7078]

Great videos. Very helpful, and so useful to have the hints on oral French. I've been learning from books, and native French speakers can never understand me.

[@hannefrlich9101]

Best teacher EVER

[@LanguageCity]

Merci, Hanne :) You should subscribe to the entire course. This is only the tip of the iceberg! Follow the link: www.language-city.com/product/subscriptions-french-ii-iii-iv-v-advanced-french/

[@earlprinsloo2605]

the best way for me to remember the "de" is apostrophe, is by making the apostrophe after the "pas" instead of before the next word. for example: Je mange pas'de riz so it's almost like "pas'de" (Pahd) is one word or sound. instead of je mange pas d'riz. this helps me a lot to get that soft D sound right.

[@PleaseDontSqueezeTheShaman]

I think you're a great teacher. I've been speaking french for 15 years and I've had several people compliment me on my pronunciation and grasp of the language, however there is something that still causes me trepidation: always comprehending when the speaker is saying "ne... plus" when the ne is dropped in conversation, or if they are using "plus" in the sense of more. I was really hoping for that to be featured in this video - how would it sound different when a native speaker said "I want more money" vs "I don't want any more money?" In my head it's all about pronouncing the S in "plus" or not, but there must be something else. Help!!!

[@melkeith9]

very very good question, someone help pls

[@Awibrahor]

Sorry to see that this question remains unanswered!

[@ireoluwadamilolaolubaji2627]

Merci beaucoup Alex,I always look forward to learning from you everyday and I must say my French has improved. Je suis tres content.

[@LanguageCity]

Tant mieux, ça me fait plaisir!

[@tobybromfield3664]

You're starting to get many more deserved subscribers, well done!

[@LanguageCity]

Oui Toby, c'est une question de temps :)

[@wesleyy2792]

Merci, Alex !

[@Galoombadude]

I had a frech exam tomorrow merci for helping me 😊

[@jeffersondarmawan_pianist]

please make some lessons on "y" and "en" too!

[@LanguageCity]

Those two are our French curriculum available in our French IB self-study course. There is a 50% discount until tonight with promo code 50OFF :) Big topics that are generally poorly explained. Most books make them sound complicated while it is not.

[@tarzan1148]

Thank you, Alexander. Very important/practical information. That's why I love your videos. thanks!!!

[@valeried597]

I am loving your lessons! Merci beaucoup!!!

[@LanguageCity]

Merci Valérie!

[@MrJerkensen]

Hey Alex, I watch your videos everyday and I must say that you are a fantastic teacher. I have learned so much from you. THANK YOU! Your best guess, how long did it take you to speak english fluently? I study everyday around 3 hours and have been at it for about a year and a half. I'm getting there but some days it's still so frustrating :)

[@LanguageCity]

Bonjour Ryan, I'm glad you like my videos. Thank you. I think the #1 quality to become fluent in a language is the desire to learn. If you have that, nothing will stop you. I started learning English when I was 11 in the early 90's. I spent a lot of time learning on my own with what I had: books, dictionary, and 2 movies. If interested, all the secrets to learning French are in my course at login.language-city.com/groupe-lessons/. Other things I can tell you: never be afraid f making mistakes, ask people to correct you even though they mostly won't as they think it's insulting/annoying. Be pro active: you have questions? Ask native speakers. Speaking a second language fluently is so great, it's very much worth it :)

[@jmorra]

@@LanguageCity Alex, I get a "marketing funnel" site when I try to use this link. What's up with that?

[@LanguageCity]

@@jmorra Bonjour John, sorry, the website's changed since then. However, there is no live class scheduled at this point.

[@loujencop]

another brilliant lesson!

[@clivegoodman16]

I read that originally the negative word was "ne". "Pas" which literally means "step" was meant to strengthen the "ne". Now it appears that many French people skip the "ne" and concentrate on the 'pas".

[@dayph]

Thanks for your videos, have seen a bunch of them already and gonna watch more. You, sir, deserve more views. I really appreciate your devotion. Cheers from Prague, CZ.

[@LanguageCity]

Merci dayph3! I was talking to a good friend of mine from the Czech Republic. He was telling me that Czech was so hard that even most kids have to see a speech therapist. That's pretty mind-blowing.

[@dayph]

Well, that's a bit exaggerated but the truth is that some children struggle with the letters R (which is normal rolled 'r' like in Spanish) and especially -Ř- (which is specific only to CZ ) . But apart from that it's a language is as any other slavic language and not anything "the hardest" or what have you. ;) I would probably need a French speech therapist at the moment :D :D :D .. Merci et Bonne Journée!

[@zuberalan]

Vos vidéos me donnent la confiance de parler en plus...

[@LanguageCity]

Super :) Ça me fait plaisir !

[@zuberalan]

Hahaha .. I was just going to use Ça me fait plaisir!!! :-) You used it... Très content :-) Cheers...

[@lollylicker101]

Love these videos

[@Sashaleigh09]

Your lessons are helpful. Thanks!

[@LanguageCity]

Merci Sasha!

[@m.h.j4075]

merci prof👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👍

[@danielbitencourt4572]

You are the man! TOP!!!!! Thanks for the vids!They're awesome!

[@LanguageCity]

Merci Daniel :)

[@kchoi2339]

very good works! I like all your videos, thank you!

[@LanguageCity]

You're quite welcome!

[@sarahkim7710]

I am only a beginner with Portuguese in my distant background, but I think this is the best French lesson anywhere!

[@LanguageCity]

Merci Sarah :) Did you see the other videos?

[@sarahkim7710]

I plan to catch up with your other videos over time. Merci!

[@tabithaolicshevisbassani6249]

I'm learning a lot! Thanks!

[@LanguageCity]

De rien, Tabitha. The pleasure is mine :)

[@avahepburn6507]

I have just accidentally found you and I'm purposely keeping you....easy to follow' ThankyouThankyou

[@LanguageCity]

Glad you found this channel, Ava, welcome!

[@rosecirigliano5706]

Thank you ☺️ I try to listen to you and as you suggested Petite Nicolas 10 mi a day🤗

[@LanguageCity]

Excellent! That's the way to go. Your perseverance will pay off :)

[@youssefmokadem5434]

Great

[@markfankboner8001]

Got a question. I know one uses de as in pas de but is this true when I use Je ne fais pas de sports or Je ne fais pas du sports. Thanks

[@LanguageCity]

Yes, any time you have a "du, de la, de l', des, un(e)", it will turn into a d(e) when preceded by the negative form.

[@YAADXC]

You are amazing !! First really useful videos . Thank you :)

[@victo7848]

So if I skip the n sound I never carry over the s in pas? (I was taught to just lightly touch the n). Thanks!!

[@LanguageCity]

If I understand your question correctly, you can do either one. Some will lightly touch the n, some will skip it entirely. You'll hear both.

[@bonbonpony]

I always wondered why are there two different words for negation on both sides of the verb? What do they mean exactly? (Or what did they once mean?) Where did this weird construction come from?

[@LanguageCity]

Not sure where the "ne" comes from, but there's . a great story about the "pas". I think I tell the story at some point in my course, but in a nutshell, through time, we've used words related to war to express the negative form. In literature, you'll see "point" in place of pas. "un poing" (pronounced the same) is a "fist". You'll also see "guère" (la guerre = war), and today, we use "pas" (as in a "step" towards the enemy).

[@yvanwang2106]

Merci pour votre vidéo. Concerning the negative forms in French, I am kinda confused with the sentence "J'ai peur que vous ne soyez vraiment très en avance". As is mentioned in your video, a negative form is of the pattern "ne ... (sth negative)". Then what on earth is the case for this sentence? Merci d'avance!

[@LanguageCity]

Oh, good point. This is actually a lot more advanced, but in a nutshell, in proper French, in order to say "I am scared that he will be/do..." it is "J'ai peur qu'il ne soit/fasse..." with the subjunctive. And the French skip that "ne" most of the time. So that "ne" doesn't have much to do with the negative form. I wouldn't worry about it :)

[@vale4659]

Bonjour professeur ,au dèbut Merci beaucoup pour partager votre information , c'est vraiment quelque chose très gentil ... Il ya 14 temps en le français, lesquels sont les plus utilisés dans le langage courant excepté le présent, le passé composé, et le futur proche ?

[@LanguageCity]

Je dirais l'imparfait, subjonctif present et passé, conditionnel présent et passé. Certainement pas le passé simple, et on utilise moins le future simple en français qu'en anglais.

[@donaldcannon3803]

In the first example, "Nous ne regards pas la télé", the meaning is "We are not watching television (at the moment)". But can you say: "On ne regard pas de télé" to mean "We do not watch any television"? Or would it be "On ne regard jamais de télé"? Or something else?? Thanks for your great lessons.

[@LanguageCity]

It would be the same sentence for both. Only the context would tell which one it is. "Nous ne regardons pas la télé." for both "We don't watch TV" & "We're not watching TV." Remember that le, la & les never turn into "du, de la, des", so we would never say "On ne regarde pas de télé." Does that make sense?

[@manhoodtariq9982]

nice

[@nellysrapyan]

Je commprends tous que t'as dit , mais je arrive pas a parler le francais courament :(

[@LanguageCity]

Il faut voir tout mon cours, tu apprendras beaucoup de choses :) Tu peux jeter un coup d'oeil à tout mon cours pendant un mois pour $19. www.language-city.com.

[@patriciafitch2432]

How to close a letter to a French friend that you've known since childhood?

[@LanguageCity]

I think many women would end the letter with "Je t'embrasse". For an acquaintance that you'd consider as a category 2 sort of friend, you'd say "Amitiés".

[@patriciafitch2432]

@@LanguageCity Thank you!

[@lingrlongr]

How do these sentences differ when speaking fast? J'ai plus de lait. Je n'ai plus de lait. If you remove the "ne", isn't that the key to understanding what "plus" means?

[@LanguageCity]

In the sense of "more", you would hear the "s" in more + noun (plus de + noun)

[@tobybromfield3664]

However, healthy in french is 'sain' not 'saint'!

[@LanguageCity]

I should hire you to edit my videos. Makes sense since the feminine is "saine".

[@helenarichard]

Every phrase is math.

[@sgg3745]

You say d' but really you are adding 'd onto the negative pas, making pas into pa'd. As in pas de problème. Non?

[@LanguageCity]

Exactly. As you say, what you really hear is very much like the English word "pad". You're right.

[@laurabernay]

So what about this: C'est du courrier urgent. Ce n'est pas DU courrier urgent.? Why is this DU and not 'de'? You said it's always 'de'.?? And also this: Ce sont des études difficiles. Ce ne sont pas des études difficiles. Why is it 'des' and not d'études? Merci!!

[@LanguageCity]

Great questions, Laura! Well, remember, in this video, I said "de" replaces "du/de la/de l'/des", and even "un(e)" in the NEGATIVE form. C'est du courier urgent = It's (some) urgent mail. I think I understand your general question, though. Sometimes, we won't turn those articles into "de" as in "Ce ne sont pas des études difficiles". Look at it this way: the word "any" is mostly optional in English in the negative form. I would say that if you cannot say "any" in English (the sentence would make no sense), then don't use "de" in French (they're the same). "Those are not difficult studies" (sorry for the word-for-word translation, but it helps make my point). You can't say "Those are not any difficult studies), so we'll keep "some difficult studies" (...des études difficiles). Does that make sense?

[@laurabernay]

@@LanguageCity Actually I found the answer: When être is used it does not change. That's the actual grammatic rule. It took me a long time to find it but I did. So maybe you could use that when you teach this next time. Thanks for the reply.

[@LanguageCity]

@@laurabernay That's a lot easier than my explanation! :) Very nice finding!

[@laurabernay]

@@LanguageCity J'ai demandé à mon mari qui est français, il ne savait pas...J'ai demandé aussi à ma prof à l'université mais elle ne savait pas non plus! Voilà un mystère :)

[@LanguageCity]

@@laurabernay Oh ce sont des choses qui ne se devinent pas et qu'on n'étudie pas à l'école en cours de français langue maternelle. Et comme vous le voyez, les livres sont loin d'avoir les réponses à toutes les questions.