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How to Say ‘I don't have time.’ in French

Je n'ai pas le temps.

zhuh n ay pah luh tahn

[zhuh n ay pah luh tahn]

💬 Usage Tip: Ne shrinks to n' before a vowel, and ne ... pas wraps around the verb. In casual speech people often drop it entirely: J'ai pas le temps.

Phrase Breakdown

Je n'ai pas

zhuh n ay pah

I don't have

This is the negative of 'j'ai' (I have). 'N'ai' sounds like 'nay'. In casual speech, 'je' is often shortened to 'j'.

Example

Je n'ai pas d'argent.

I don't have any money.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

[n]

not (negation)

Shortened form of 'ne', the first part of a negation; with 'plus' it means 'no longer / no more'.

Example

Nous n'avons plus de place ce soir.

We have no more room tonight.

[ay]

have

Form of 'avoir' used with past participles to make the past tense.

Example

J'ai beaucoup appris grâce à notre discussion.

I learned a lot thanks to our discussion.

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

le temps.

luh tahn

the time.

The 'p' and 's' in 'temps' are silent, so it sounds like a nasal 'tan'.

Example

J'ai le temps.

I have time.

Words in this phrase

[luh]

the

Used as a function word to indicate a noun and to mark the noun as definite.

Example

Le chat noir.

The black cat.

temps

[tahn]

time

Masculine noun for time; also means weather.

Example

Je n'ai pas le temps.

I don't have time.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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