non
Tu veux du café ? — Non, merci.
Do you want coffee? — No, thanks.
Used to express negation or disagreement.
Je n'aime pas ça. — Non ?
I don't like it. — No?
Non, ce n'est pas vrai !
No, that's not true!
Can stand alone as a complete response or precede a clause.
Used to contradict a negative statement.
Tu n'as pas faim ? — Non, je n'ai pas faim.
Aren't you hungry? — No, I'm not hungry.
In French, 'non' is used to contradict a negative question, unlike in English where 'yes' would be used.
(informal) Used to express surprise or disbelief.
Il a gagné 1 million ? — Non, c'est pas possible !
He won 1 million? — No way, that's not possible!
Often paired with 'pas' for emphasis: 'Non, pas du tout!'
Used in titles or names (e.g., 'Monsieur Non').
Le roman 'Non' de Samuel Beckett.
The novel 'Non' by Samuel Beckett.
Can function as a proper noun in literary or artistic contexts.
Collocations
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Negating Questions
In French, 'non' is used to contradict a negative question, unlike in English. For example, 'Tu n'aimes pas ça ? — Non, je n'aime pas ça.' (You don't like that? — No, I don't like that.)
Gold Rule
Standalone Use
'Non' can function as a complete response to a yes/no question, just like 'oui' (yes).
Contradicting Negatives
When responding to a negative question, 'non' means 'no' (contradicting the negative), while 'oui' would mean 'yes' (agreeing with the negative).
Word Origin
From Old French 'non', from Latin 'nōn' (not), from Proto-Italic '*ne' (not) + '*oinom' (one). Cognate with Italian 'no', Spanish 'no', and English 'no'.
Usage Notes
'Non' is one of the most basic negation words in French, used in both formal and informal contexts. It can stand alone or precede a clause. In negative questions, 'non' is used to contradict the negative, unlike in English where 'yes' would be used (e.g., 'Tu n'as pas faim ? — Non, je n'ai pas faim.' vs. 'Aren't you hungry? — No, I'm not hungry.').