Never in French 🇫🇷

Simple Pronunciation

jamais (zhah-may)

6 months ago

Jamais

Can also be used alone in reply when the verb is understood

A: Tu vas au cinema?
B: Jamais

9 months ago

Jamais

Used to express never. Ne precedes the verb and jamais follows it

Je ne sors jamais English I never go out

9 months ago

jamais info.

**Tips to remember the French word “jamais”:**
– Associate “jamais” with the English word “never”; the first three letters “jam” can remind you of the negative connotation of “never” as something that does not happen “at any time.”
– Think of the phrase “jamming the door shut,” as in “jamming” it so that nothing can ever get through, analogous to “never” allowing something to happen.

**Explanations:**
– “Jamais” is an adverb in French used to negate actions, similar to “never” in English. It is generally used in the negative construction “ne…jamais,” meaning “not…ever,” which translates to “never.”

**Other words that mean the same thing:**
– “Nullement” can be used to strongly negate something, though not as a direct substitute for “jamais.”
– “Pas du tout” expresses total negation, but is more along the lines of “not at all.”

**Alternate meanings like slang:**
– In informal settings, one might simply use “jamais” without “ne” (e.g., “jamais de la vie” which means “never in my life”) to strongly deny something.
– As a slang term, “jamais” alone can also intensify a statement with a negative connotation, much like “not ever.”

**Examples of sentences that use it:**
– Standard negation: “Je n’ai jamais vu cela.” – “I have never seen that.”
– Strong denial: “Jamais je ne ferai ça !” – “I will never do that!”
– Without “ne” in spoken French: “Jamais dans la vie !” – “Never in life!”
– In a question implying a negative: “Tu as déjà vu un éléphant voler?” – “As-tu jamais vu un éléphant voler?” (While the latter is less common, it translates as “Have you ever seen an elephant fly?” where “jamais” suggests the expectation of a negative answer.)

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