how come it's incorrect to write "je n'ai pas une soeur" as opposed to "de soeur"?
You've already seen how to use indefinite articles un or une to express a/an (see Using un, une to say "a" (indefinite articles))
Now look at these negative sentences:
Il a une voiture. - Non, il n'a pas de voiture!
He has a car. - No he doesn't have a car!
Tu as un animal familier? - Non je n'ai pas d'animal familier.
Do you have a pet? - No, I don't have a pet.
J'ai un frère mais je n'ai pas de soeur!
I have a brother, but I don't have a sister.
Indefinite articles un and une become de or d' (in front of a vowel or mute h) after a negative expression (ne...pas / ne...jamais / ne...plus ... etc.) in order to express no / any.
ATTENTION:
This rule does NOT apply to sentences using the verb être and other Verbes d'état, with which the indefinite article doesn't change:
Je ne suis pas une menteuse !
I'm not a liar!
Mon chien n'est pas un labrador.
My dog is not a Labrador.
Il reste un ami loyal. - Non, il ne reste pas un ami loyal !
He remains a loyal friend. - No, he doesn't remain a loyal friend!
EXCEPTION:
When you want to emphasise the meaning of ONE (un/une) - not just a/an - as in He doesn't have ONE car, but TWO, you will keep un/une in the negative sentence - but here it doesn't mean no/any:
Also see Du, de la, de l', des all become de or d' in negative sentences (partitive articles)
Note that definite articles (le, la, l', les) don't change in negative sentences:
J'aime le chocolat. -> Je n'aime pas le chocolat.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Ils n'ont pas une maison, mais deux !
They don't have ONE house, but TWO!
Il a une voiture. - Non, il n'a pas de voiture!
He has a car. - No he doesn't have a car!
Je ne suis pas une menteuse !
I'm not a liar!
Mon chien n'est pas un labrador.
My dog is not a Labrador.
Elle est devenue une excellente danseuse. - Non, elle n'est pas devenue une excellente danseuse !
She became a great dancer. - No, she didn't become a great dancer!
J'ai un frère mais je n'ai pas de soeur!
I have a brother, but I don't have a sister.
Il reste un ami loyal. - Non, il ne reste pas un ami loyal !
He remains a loyal friend. - No, he doesn't remain a loyal friend!
Tu as un animal familier? - Non je n'ai pas d'animal familier.
Do you have a pet? - No, I don't have a pet.
Q&A Forum 11 questions, 20 answers
TyraKwiziq community member
une vs de soeur
Asked 1 month ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
The question "how come" is always tempting to ask and often difficult to answer, simply because languages aren't math and don't always follow the rules of logic.
In this case, it may help that English, too, doesn't use the definite article after negations. If someone asks you, "Do you have a sister?" you answer with, "No, I don't have a sister," and not "No I don't have one sister". In French it is similar.
Tyra asked:View original
une vs de soeur
how come it's incorrect to write "je n'ai pas une soeur" as opposed to "de soeur"?
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JoKwiziq community member
J'ai lu un livre -> je n'ai pas lu de livre? J'ai fait du ski -> Je n'ai pas fait du ski?
Asked 10 months ago
Jo asked:View original
J'ai lu un livre -> je n'ai pas lu de livre? J'ai fait du ski -> Je n'ai pas fait du ski?
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OluKwiziq community member
For example with the verb manger. Je mange une pomme, Does it become "je ne mange pas *une* pomme or *de* pomme?
Asked 1 year ago
Olu asked:View original
For example with the verb manger. Je mange une pomme, Does it become "je ne mange pas *une* pomme or *de* pomme?
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OluKwiziq community member
I obseved that change of the indefinite article to de/d' is in sentences with the verb Avoir. With the exception of Etre does it apply to other verbs?
Asked 1 year ago
Olu asked:View original
I obseved that change of the indefinite article to de/d' is in sentences with the verb Avoir. With the exception of Etre does it apply to other verbs?
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LindaKwiziq community member
Which is correct "du" or "de" in the sentence "Je ne fais pas ____ cheval.
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Linda,
it is - "Je ne fais pas du cheval" for 'I don't ride horses' i.e. 'I can't ride'.
You might say "Je ne fais pas de cheval aujourd'hui" for I won't ride today.
So a bit trickier than first thought...
GwenKwiziq community member
I don't understand, aren't we suppose to use de in "Je ne fais pas de cheval" since it's negative? It is because faire is irregular?
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LindaKwiziq community member
Which is correct "de la" or "de" in the sentence "Je ne joue pas ___ guitare."
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Linda.
It is- "Je ne joue pas de la guitare" as the the expression is 'jouer de la guitare'.
Linda asked:View original
Which is correct "de la" or "de" in the sentence "Je ne joue pas ___ guitare."
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Alan Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Yes, after être or other verbes d'état (there's a link to the full list in the lesson).
For example:
"Ce ne sont pas des choses aisées à dire" - "these are not easy things to say"
RobertKwiziq community member
Except for être and other verbs of state, is des used after ne ... pas ?
Alan Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
It's also used in some figurative expressions:
"ça ne casse pas des briques"
"les chiens ne font pas des chats"
I'm not sure why "de" is not used in these examples.
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William Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Verbs other than être
Your exercise mentions that être does not use this construction with negative statements. Are there any other verbs that don't use it?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi William - yes as the note explains, it's all the verbs of state. There's a link to a list of them, but case you missed it these are the French verbs of state.
William asked:View original
Verbs other than être
Your exercise mentions that être does not use this construction with negative statements. Are there any other verbs that don't use it?
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MaxKwiziq community member
English grammr? Better written as "He has a brother, he doesn't have a sister."
I think the translation would be better as "He has a sister, he doesn't have a brother."
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Max !
I absolutely agree with you, and thanks to you, this question has now been fixed !
Merci beaucoup et à bientôt !
Max asked:View original
English grammr? Better written as "He has a brother, he doesn't have a sister."
I think the translation would be better as "He has a sister, he doesn't have a brother."
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MelvinKwiziq community member
Salut,
If the verb of a negative sentence is être, would it still be possible to change un / une to de / d'? Merci beaucoup. ^^
Asked 3 years ago
Bonjour Melvin,
No, just like with partitive articles, this rule doesn't apply to complements following the verb "être".
Thanks to you, I've now added a note to the lesson :)
Merci et à bientôt !
Melvin asked:View original
Salut,
If the verb of a negative sentence is être, would it still be possible to change un / une to de / d'? Merci beaucoup. ^^
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DianeKwiziq community member
How would you say, "He does not have one car. He has two."?
Il n'a pas une voiture. Il en a deux.
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Diane,
If you wanted to emphasise the number of cars he has, you could indeed say:
"Il n'a pas une voiture. Il en a deux.",
and even more colloquially, you could say:
"Il n'a pas une voiture, mais deux !"
Thank you for pointing out that case, we added this distinction to the existing lesson:
https://kwiziq.learnfrenchwithalexa.com/revision/grammar/un-and-une-become-de-or-d-in-negative-sentences-indefinite-article
Merci et à bientôt !
Ly fenKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Bonjour,
Peut-on dire : "Il n'a pas seulement une voiture, mais deux."
Merci d'avance.
Diane asked:View original
How would you say, "He does not have one car. He has two."?
Il n'a pas une voiture. Il en a deux.
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