pas vraiment
The English phrase "not really" is translated into French as pas vraiment.
pas vraiment is used to soften a negative statement, indicating that something is not entirely true or not quite the case.
Meaning: to a low degree (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pas (not) and vraiment (really/truly).
Which one should you use?
Pas tout à fait conveys the idea of being not quite there yet or not entirely convinced. In informal conversations, you might use pas trop or pas tellement to express a lack of enthusiasm or agreement.
How does it change in a sentence?
In formal written French, pas vraiment is preceded by the particle ne to form the negation ne … pas vraiment.
Did you know?
- The word pas in pas vraiment originally meant 'a step'. It evolved from a way of saying one would not take 'a single step' towards a certain action.
- A French speaker might use a slight shrug and a pouting lip gesture while saying pas vraiment to emphasize their hesitation.
- Using pas vraiment can be a form of 'litotes', a figure of speech where an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite to sound more modest.
Examples in context
- Je n'ai pas vraiment faim.I'm not really hungry.This sentence shows how to use pas vraiment to express a lack of hunger.Tatoeba #4854178 by sacredceltic, translation #1891059 by CK
- Ce n'est pas vraiment vrai.That's not really true.This sentence demonstrates using pas vraiment to say something is not quite true.Tatoeba #4593196 by sacredceltic, translation #3593989 by CK
- Ce n'est pas vraiment le sujet.That's not really the point.This sentence shows how to use pas vraiment to state that something is not quite the point.Tatoeba #3602441 by sacredceltic, translation #3591143 by CK
- Je ne suis pas vraiment intéressé par cette proposition.I'm not really interested in this proposition.
- Cette proposition n'est pas tout à fait ce que nous recherchons.This proposal is not exactly what we are looking for.
- Ça ne me plaît pas trop , ce film.I don't really like this movie.
- Je suis pas tellement d'accord avec cette idée.I don't really agree with that idea.
- Je ne suis pas vraiment sûr de vouloir y aller ce soir.I'm not really sure I want to go there tonight.
- Il n'est pas vraiment intéressé par ce poste.He's not really interested in this job.
- 84 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon asks Lucas if he likes the movie they are watching.
- ManonTu aimes ce film, Lucas ?Do you like this movie, Lucas?
- LucasPas vraiment, c'est un peu lent.Not really, it's a bit slow.
- ManonOn peut changer de chaîne alors.We can change the channel then.
- LucasOui, je suis d'accord.Yes, I agree.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “not really” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pas, vraiment, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
