je ne parle pas anglais
/ʒə n(ə) paʁ.l(ə) pa.z‿ɑ̃.ɡlɛ/
The English phrase "no speak english" is translated into French as je ne parle pas anglais.
je ne parle pas anglais is used to inform someone that you do not speak the English language. You may also use Désolé(e), je ne parle pas anglais to say "Sorry, I do not speak English."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), the negation ne…pas (not), parle (speak) and anglais (English).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the colloquial form Ch'parle pas anglais is used. In this regional variation, the contraction Ch' represents je (I).
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken French, the ne is often dropped, resulting in je parle pas anglais.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə n(ə) paʁ.l(ə) pa.z‿ɑ̃.ɡlɛ/
Did you know?
- Before pas became the standard, French speakers used other nouns to emphasize a negative, such as goutte for 'a drop' or mie for 'a crumb'.
- The word anglais is not capitalized in French when referring to the language, unlike 'English' in English.
- While je ne parle pas anglais is correct, many French speakers will use the phrase Je ne maîtrise pas l'anglais to suggest they know some but are not fluent.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, je ne parle pas anglais.Excuse me, I do not speak English.
- Désolé(e), je ne parle pas anglais.Sorry, I do not speak English.
- Excusez-moi, je ne parle pas anglais du tout.Excuse me, I do not speak English at all.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry je ne parle pas anglais, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anglais, je, ne, pas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
