Pas moi
The English phrase "I am not" is translated into French as Pas moi.
A phrase used to deny that something applies to the speaker, often in response to a question or statement.
Which one should you use?
Je ne suis point is a formal way to express negation. Je suis pas is an informal way to say I am not by dropping the 'ne'. J'suis pas is an informal contraction of Je suis pas. Chuis pas is an informal contraction used in some regions or extremely informal contexts.
Did you know?
- In the past, French speakers used other nouns to emphasize negation, such as goutte for 'a drop' or mie for 'a crumb'.
- The formal negation Je ne suis point uses point instead of pas to provide a stronger and more definitive denial.
- The word moi is a 'tonic' pronoun, meaning it is a stressed form used to emphasize the person, rather than a weak grammatical particle.
Examples in context
- Ah ! Pour être dévot, je n'en suis pas moins homme.Although I am a pious man, I am not the less a man.This sentence shows how to use the concept of negation in a complex sentence.Tatoeba #433959 by Clavain, translation #433963 by jerom
- Je ne suis pas prêt(e) pour la réunion.I am not ready for the meeting.
- Je ne suis point intéressé(e) par cette offre.I am not interested in this offer.
- Je ne suis guère enclin(e) à participer à cette soirée.I am not inclined to attend this party.
- Pas moi, je suis déjà prêt.Not me, I am already ready.
- Tu as faim ? Pas moi.Are you hungry? Not me.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are talking about who forgot the keys.
- LucasOn a oublié les clés, n'est-ce pas ?The keys were forgotten, right?
- ManonOui, mais pas moi.Yes, but not me.
- LucasAlors c'est Lucas qui les a oubliées ?So Lucas is the one who forgot them?
- ManonProbablement, car pas moi !Probably, because not me!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries moi, pas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
