The French expressionn'est-cepas (pronounced "nes-pah") is what grammarians call a tag question. It's a word or short phrase that is tagged on to the end of a statement, to turn it into a yes-or-no question. It is aquestionadded to adeclarative sentence to engage, verify, or confirm. Question tags use the auxiliary verb in the opposite form of the sentence itself. If a sentence is negative, the question tag takes the positive form of the auxiliary verb, and vice versa.
Most of the time, n'est-cepas is used in conversation when the speaker, who already expects a certain response, asks a question mainly as a rhetorical device. Literally translated,n'est-ce pasmeans "is it not," though most speakers understand it to mean "isn't it?" or "aren't you?"
In English, tag questions often consist of the specific verb from the statement combined with "not." In French, the verb is irrelevant; the tag question is just n'est-ce pas. English tag questions "right?" and "no?" are similar in usage to n'est-ce pas, though not in register. They are informal, whereas n'est-ce pasis formal. The informal French tag question equivalent is non?
Here's a quick review of principle tenses, the auxiliary form they take, and an example of a positive and a negative question tag for each tense.
Examples and Usage
- Vous êtes prêt, n'est-ce pas? –>You're ready, aren't you?
- Elle est belle, n'est-ce pas? –>She's beautiful, isn't she?
- Nous devons partir bientôt, n'est-ce pas? –>We have to leave soon, don't we?
- Il a fait ses devoirs, n'est-ce pas? –>He did his homework, didn't he?
- Ils peuvent nous accompagner, n'est-ce pas? –>They can come with us, can't they?
FAQs
Literally translated, n'est-ce pas means "is it not," though most speakers understand it to mean "isn't it?" or "aren't you?" In English, tag questions often consist of the specific verb from the statement combined with "not." In French, the verb is irrelevant; the tag question is just n'est-ce pas.
How to use "n'est-ce pas"? ›
The French expression n'est-ce pas? can simply be added to the end of an affirmative sentence, whether to elicit a basic response of confirmation, or to make it into a simple rhetorical question.
What does the French phrase "n'est pas" mean? ›
French phrase
nes-pä : isn't it so? : isn't it?
How do you respond to "n'est pas"? ›
N'est-ce pas is just like the English "isn't it" or "don't you" or similar. It requests a yes/no reply to the question. In the positive, the response is oui/non and in the negative it is si/non.
What is the meaning of the given French expression ce n est pas? ›
It literally means: Ce n'est pas → It's not.
How do you use N pas in French? ›
In French, a negative sentence is formed by using the words "ne", “n' ”, and "pas" around a verb. "Ne" comes before the verb, and "pas" follows it. For example, "Je ne parle pas" means "I don't speak". The placement of "ne" and "pas" around the verb is the most basic form of creating a negative statement.
Do French people use ne pas? ›
In “correct” French, we make negative sentences by adding ne… pas around the verb. And in everyday spoken French, we often drop the “ne,” so the negation only relies on “pas”. Je tiens cette girafe.
What does n'est pas moi mean? ›
Honestly, that is not me. Sincèrement, ce n'est pas moi. Honestly, that is not me. Malheureusem*nt il n'est pas moi du tout. Unfortunately he is not me at all.
What does je nai se pas mean? ›
Je ne sais pas. I don't know. Collins Beginner's French-English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers.
What does tu pas bien mean? ›
you're not well. you're not fine. you're not good. you are not well. you are unwell.
Translation of "Mais je ne sais pas" in English. but I don't know but I do not know but I'm not sure but I can't but I have no idea but don't know but I am not sure.
What does je suis pas mean? ›
Translation of "je suis pas" in English. Adverb. I'm not. I don't. I am not.
What does mais qui est-ce mean? ›
Translation of "mais qui est-ce" in English. but who is it. But who am. Who the hell is.
What does ce n est pas ca mean? ›
Translation of "ce n'est pas ça" in English. Adverb / Other. it's not that. it is not that.
Where do you put ne and pas in passe compose? ›
In a negative sentence in the passé composé, ne precedes the helping verb, and the negative word (pas, rien, jamais, and so on follows it: Je n'ai rien préparé. (I didn't prepare anything.) Nous n'avons pas fini le travail.
How do you use est-ce que in a sentence? ›
Est-ce que means literally "is it that," and can be placed at the beginning of any affirmative sentence to turn it into a question. Est-ce que vous dansez? Do you dance?
What does c est bon n est-ce pas mean? ›
c'est bon, n'est-ce pas ? it's good, isn't it?
