Position of French Negations - with conjugated verb + infinitive

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard , HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2022-10-17
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Look at these negative complex sentences:

Tu ne veux pas venir ce soir ?Don't you want to come tonight?

Je ne vais plus faire ton travail pour toi.I'm not going to do your work for you anymore.

Tu ne dois pas crier.You mustn't shout.

Nous n'aimons pas cuisiner.We don't like cooking.

In sentences with both a conjugated verb AND an infinitive, the negations ne...pas / ne...jamais / ne...plus etc are placed on each side of the conjugated verb.

ATTENTION:

You cannot say: Tu ne veux venir pas ce soir. 
BUT 
You can say: Tu peux ne pas venir.
However, in that case, it means: You can not come /  You're allowed not to come.

 

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Examples and resources

Je ne sais pas jouer du piano.I don't know how to play piano.
Elle ne peut pas chanter à cause de sa toux.She can't sing because of her cough.
Il ne va jamais arrêter.He's never going to stop.
Ils ne doivent jamais mentir.They must never lie.  
Je ne vais plus faire ton travail pour toi.I'm not going to do your work for you anymore.
Tu ne veux pas venir ce soir ?Don't you want to come tonight?
Nous n'aimons pas cuisiner.We don't like cooking.
Tu ne dois pas crier.You mustn't shout.
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