Look at the sentences:
Le professeur dit de ne pas courir
The teacher says not to run
Il est important de ne pas bouger.
It is important not to move.
Il m'a appris à ne pas avoir peur.
He taught me not to be scared.
J'espère ne pas faire d'erreurs.
I hope not to make a mistake.
Note that if a sentence has two verbs but it's the infinitive verb (a verb that's not conjugated) that requires negation, ne pas goes before the infinitive rather than around it.
Note: If there is a pronoun before the infinitive, ne pas precedes it.
Ma mère m'a dit de ne pas le faire
My mother told me not to do it
Je t'ai demandé de ne pas lui dire.
I asked you not to tell him.
See also Position of negation with two verbs (conjugated + infinitive)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Il est important de ne pas bouger.
It is important not to move.
Je t'ai demandé de ne pas lui dire.
I asked you not to tell him.
J'espère ne pas faire d'erreurs.
I hope not to make a mistake.
Le professeur dit de ne pas courir
The teacher says not to run
Il m'a appris à ne pas avoir peur.
He taught me not to be scared.
when there is a pronoun before the infinitive
Ma mère m'a dit de ne pas le faire
My mother told me not to do it
Q&A
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
9/11/16
The negation "ne pas" will come after the preposition "de", but in this case:
"J'espère ne pas faire D'erreurs."
the "d' " is not the preposition, but the partitive "des" which became d' because this is a negative sentence.
Think that you say "espérer quelque chose" and not "espérer DE quelque chose".
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Susan
Kwiziq community member
9/11/16
Thanks for explaining.
Leah
Kwiziq community member
11 February 2017
5 replies
why isn't it "Premiere erreur de ne pas faire" but is "Premieur erreur a ne pas faire"?
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
13 March 2017
13/03/17
Bonjour Leah !
This is an excellent question.
The difference here relates to impersonal expressions.
Here's the rule:
- When you have a real subject, like "première erreur" - i.e. to do. - and that the infinitive is used intransitively (without a object), then the structure is:
[subject/adjective] + à + [infinitive]
La première chose à faire...
The first thing to do...
C'est bon à savoir.
That's good to know.
- When you have a *dummy* subject - i.e. it is to do - the structure is:
il est/c'est + [adjective] + de + [infinitive]
Il est difficile de parler. / C'est difficile de parler.
It's hard to talk.
Il est important de faire confiance à ses amis.
It's important to trust one's friends.
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Leah
Kwiziq community member
13 March 2017
13/03/17
Hope I can remember it.
Best,
Leah
helen
Kwiziq community member
25 May 2018
25/05/18
Leah
Kwiziq community member
25 May 2018
25/05/18
Bonsoir Aurelie,
Merci beaucoup!
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
13 June 2018
13/06/18
Bonjour Helen !
Here it's not a case of impersonal expressions, but a case of reported (or indirect) speech, hence the use of de :
Je lui demande de venir. -> I ask him to come.
Bonne journée !