vraiment pas
The English phrase "really not" is translated into French as vraiment pas.
vraiment pas is a phrase used to strongly emphasize a negative statement or a denial.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb vraiment (really) and the negation pas (not).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual conversation, it is very common to omit the formal negation particle ne, as seen in the phrase vraiment pas. However, you should avoid this omission in formal writing.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken French, the formal negation particle ne is often omitted, leaving only vraiment pas to express the negative emphasis.
Did you know?
- The word pas originally meant 'a step' in Latin. Long ago, saying something was 'not… a step' was a way to express that an action was not happening at all.
- In very informal spoken French, vraiment pas can be used as a standalone exclamation. When used as a one-word answer to a question, it functions like saying 'no way' or 'absolutely not'.
- The word vraiment is built by taking the adjective vrai, meaning 'true', and adding the suffix -ment. It is essentially saying something is 'truly not'.
Examples in context
- C'est vraiment pas drôle.That's really not funny.This sentence is useful for showing how to express that something is not funny using vraiment pas.Tatoeba #4532572 by Whidou, translation #3428524 by CK
- N'y vas-tu vraiment pas ?Are you really not going?This sentence is useful for asking a question about whether someone is really not going using vraiment pas.Tatoeba #4855525 by sacredceltic, translation #2713442 by CK
- Je n'ai vraiment pas faim.I'm really not hungry.This sentence is useful for stating that you are really not hungry using vraiment pas.Tatoeba #4854195 by sacredceltic, translation #1891114 by CK
- Je ne suis vraiment pas d'accord avec cette décision.I really don't agree with this decision.
- Je ne peux absolument pas assister à la réunion demain.I absolutely cannot attend the meeting tomorrow.
- Je n'aime pas du tout ce film.I really don't like this movie at all.
- Il n'y a vraiment aucun moyen de réparer cet objet.There's really no way to fix this object.
- Je ne m'excuserai pas le moins du monde pour mes actions.I won't apologize at all for my actions.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about a movie they just watched.
- LéaTu as aimé le film ?Did you like the movie?
- GabrielNon, c'était vraiment pas intéressant.No, it was really not interesting.
- LéaMoi, j'ai adoré le scénario !Me, I loved the script!
- GabrielJe suis vraiment pas d'accord avec toi.I really do not agree with you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pas, vraiment, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
