How to Say "Did Not" in French

n'a pas

The English phrase "did not" is translated into French using the past tense negative form n'a pas.

The past tense negative form used to indicate that an action did not happen.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Quebec French, an informal variation J'a pas compris is used to mean "I did not understand."

English speakers often forget to include the ne (which is contracted to n') part of the negation, which is required in standard written French.

The word pas originally meant 'a step'. When you say you 'did not' do something, you are historically saying you did 'not a step' toward that action.
In some regional dialects and older literature, you may encounter ne… point, a stronger version of 'did not' that provides a more absolute sense of negation than ne… pas.
The French language uses a 'double' negation system. Unlike English, which can use a single word like 'not', French typically wraps the verb in two parts, ne and pas, to create the negative.

Il n'a pas écouté.
He did not listen.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use n'a pas to say someone did not listen.
Tatoeba #1638984 by sacredceltic, translation #1635828 by Spamster
Il n'a pas résisté.
He did not resist.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use n'a pas to say someone did not resist.
Tatoeba #4702207 by sacredceltic, translation #2565708 by Hybrid
Elle n'a pas pleuré.
She did not cry.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use n'a pas to say someone did not cry.
Tatoeba #2261725 by sacredceltic, translation #2261071 by Hybrid
63 more sentences on Tatoeba

Hugo and Léa are discussing a missed phone call.

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