🚫🕐

How to Say ‘I'm not free’ in French

Je ne suis pas libre

zhuh nuh swee pah LEE-bruh

[zhuh nuh swee pah LEE-bruh]

💬 Usage Tip: To say "not", French wraps the verb with ne before it and pas after it. In casual speech ne often disappears, but keep it in business calls.

Phrase Breakdown

Je ne suis

zhuh nuh swee

I am not

'Ne' begins the negative. In casual speech it often sounds like 'zheun-swee'.

Example

Je ne suis pas fatigué.

I am not tired.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

[nuh]

not

Used to make a negative.

Example

Je ne sais pas.

I do not know.

suis

[swee]

First person singular present of 'to be'.

Example

Je suis fatigué.

I am tired.

pas libre

pah LEE-bruh

not free

'Pas' completes the negative. 'Libre' means available, pronounced 'leebr'.

Example

Ce soir, je ne suis pas libre.

Tonight, I'm not free.

Words in this phrase

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

libre

[LEE-bruh]

free / available

Adjective meaning not busy, available.

Example

Je suis libre ce soir.

I'm free tonight.

Guides for French learners

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.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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