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Learn Frenchwith Natives
ENFR

B1 Lesson 1 of 3 · Real Spoken French: What Natives Really Say

The sounds that disappear

Why “je ne sais pas” becomes “j’sais pas”: the ne that vanishes, the short forms of je suis, tu as, il y a, and how to understand them.

13 min · 11 activities

In this lesson you will

  • Understand negation without ne
  • Recognise t’as, t’es, y a, j’suis
  • Know when to write the full form
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Lesson summary

The key points to remember, for revision.

  • 1In speech, the negation often keeps only “pas”: c’est pas grave.
  • 2Short forms: t’es, t’as, y a, j’suis, j’sais. Write the full forms.
  • 3“On” replaces “nous” in conversation, with a singular verb: on va.
  • 4Understanding these forms is essential; using them is a choice of register.

Key vocabulary

crevéexhausted (informal)
t’inquiètedon’t worry (informal)
y a du mondeit’s busy
personnenobody