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How to Say ‘I can't see him.’ in French

Je ne le vois pas.

zhuh nuh luh vwah pah

[zhuh nuh luh vwah pah]

💬 Usage Tip: In fast speech people usually drop the ne and just say Je le vois pas. The pas alone carries the "not".

Phrase Breakdown

Je ne

zhuh nuh

I don't

This is the start of the negation 'ne… pas'. Both 'e' sounds are light, and in speech it often blends into 'j'ne'.

Example

Je ne sais pas.

I don't know.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

[nuh]

(negation) not

Negation particle used with another negative word (ne… rien). In speech, it can be dropped, but it’s standard in writing.

Example

Ne me raconte rien sur l’anime, je veux garder la surprise.

Don’t tell me anything about the anime, I want to keep the surprise.

le vois pas.

luh vwah pah

see him/it (not)

'Le' means 'him' or 'it' and comes before the verb. 'Vois' sounds like 'vwa', and the 's' of 'pas' is silent.

Example

Tu le vois ?

Do you see him?

Words in this phrase

[luh]

it / him (direct object, masculine)

Direct object pronoun. Refers to a masculine noun like “l’anime” or “l’épisode” (masculine).

Example

On pourrait le regarder en VO.

We could watch it in the original version.

vois

[vwah]

see

To perceive with the eyes.

Example

Je vois le livre.

I see the book.

pas

[pah]

not (negation)

Second part of negation in “ne… pas.” Together: “Don’t worry.”

Example

Ne t’inquiète pas, je ne dis rien.

Don’t worry, I’m not saying anything.

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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