Negation - Ne...Jamais (Never)

French negation usually comes in two parts. You already know the famous ne...pas duo. To say "never," you simply swap pas for jamais. The word ne stays in its usual spot. It sits right before the conjugated verb. The word jamais follows right after the verb. This creates a "negation sandwich." The verb is the filling in the middle. If the verb starts with a vowel, ne becomes n'. This keeps the language sounding smooth and musical. French people hate clunky sounds between words. It is like a grammar traffic light. Ne is the yellow light, and jamais is the red.

1. 1Start with your subject (like Je or Marie).
2. 2Add the first part of the negation, ne.
3. 3Insert your conjugated verb immediately after ne.
4. 4Add the second part, jamais, after the verb.
5. 5Finish the sentence with any remaining details.
6. 6Example: Je + ne + mange + jamais + de pizza.
7. 7For compound tenses like the Passé Composé:
8. 8Place ne before the auxiliary verb (avoir or être).
9. 9Place jamais after the auxiliary verb.
10. 10Put the past participle at the very end.
11. 11Example: Je + n'ai + jamais + mangé.

Use ne...jamais when an action is truly impossible. Use it for habits you simply do not have. Maybe you never drink coffee before bed. Or perhaps you never arrive late to meetings. It is perfect for job interviews to show reliability. "I am never late" sounds great in any language. Use it to talk about travel history too. "I have never been to Paris" is a classic line. It helps you set clear boundaries in conversations. It is also useful for expressing strong personal preferences. If you hate cilantro, you ne mangez jamais cilantro. It is a very clear way to communicate.

Do not use pas and jamais together. This is a very common trap for beginners. Saying ne pas jamais is like wearing two hats. It looks silly and confuses everyone you meet. Also, be careful with the word "ever." In English, "ever" and "never" are different words. In French, jamais can sometimes mean "ever" in questions. But for negation, stick to the ne...jamais pair. If you want to say "not yet," use pas encore. Jamais is for things that literally never happen. Don't use it if you might do it tomorrow. Save it for the big, absolute zeros.

Many people forget the ne in the beginning. In casual speech, French people often drop the ne. However, you should learn it for your exams. Writing without ne is considered too informal for work. Another mistake is the placement in compound tenses. Don't put jamais at the end of the sentence. It must hug the first helping verb tightly. Also, remember the "de" rule after negation. Words like un, une, or des change to de. Je ne mange jamais de viande is the correct way. Even native speakers mess this up when they are tired. Just take a breath and remember the sandwich.

Compare ne...jamais with ne...plus. Ne...plus means "no longer" or "not anymore." It implies you used to do something but stopped. Ne...jamais implies the frequency was always zero. If you quit smoking, use ne...plus. If you never started, use ne...jamais. Also, look at ne...que. That means "only," which is the opposite of negation. Then there is ne...pas encore for "not yet." This is for things you plan to do soon. Jamais is much more final and absolute. It is the "end of discussion" version of no.