pas

«pas» in Mova's school dictionary: «not» in French, used with «ne»: «je ne sais pas» is «I… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adverb (French «pas» = not); noun (a pas — a step in ballet; plural pas); in phrases «faux pas», «pas de deux» — not an English word on its own

meaning for a pupil

1) (French) «Pas» means «not» in French, used with «ne»: «je ne sais pas» is «I don't know»; in casual French people often just say «pas». tree →

2) (French, ballet) «Pas» means «a step» in dance: a «pas de deux» is a dance for two people. tree →

3) «A faux pas» (from French, meaning «false step») is an embarrassing social mistake, like saying the wrong thing at a party. To an English ear «pas» sounds like «pah». tree →

4) In some old dialect spellings, "pas" means "past", as in "ran past". tree →

sense in the lessons

In French lessons «pas» is part of the negative: «ce n'est pas grave» (it's not a big deal), «pas du tout» (not at all), «pas mal» (not bad). In ballet classes «pas» names steps. In English, «a faux pas» is used in everyday talk for a social blunder. Also, in French «un pas» is a footstep.

examples

• «Je ne sais pas» means «I don't know». tree →
• «Pas mal!» means «not bad!» tree →
• «Pas du tout» means «not at all». tree →
• In ballet, a «pas de deux» is a dance for two. tree →
• Wearing trainers to the wedding was a bit of a faux pas. tree →
• French «pas» sounds like «pah», and the «s» is silent. tree →
• «Ce n'est pas grave» means «it doesn't matter». tree →
• "Col'!" exclaimed Uncle Remus; "hit got pas' col' on der quarter stretch. tree →

note

French, not English, except in borrowed phrases like «faux pas» (said «foh pah»). The «s» is silent. Do not confuse with «pa» (informal for father) or «pass».

In the corpora

• Je n'aime pas les légumes means "I don't like vegetables": with like and dislike, les stays even after pas.
• Ne becomes n' before a vowel: je n'aime pas, je n'ai pas; ne and pas go round the verb.
• After pas, des becomes de: J'ai des bonbons, but Je n'ai pas de bonbons.
• Ne goes before the verb and pas after it: je n'aime pas, il n'est pas là.
• daI pas! means pass it to me!

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «pas» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.