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How to Say ‘Not now, unfortunately.’ in French

Pas maintenant, malheureusement.

pah mehN-tuh-nawn mah-luh-ruhz-MAHN

[pah mehN-tuh-nawn mah-luh-ruhz-MAHN]

Phrase Breakdown

Pas maintenant,

pah mehN-tuh-nawn

Not now,

'Pas' is used alone as a short negation. The 's' is silent, and 'maintenant' sounds like 'mint-nan' with nasal vowels.

Example

Pas maintenant, je travaille.

Not now, I'm working.

Words in this phrase

Pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

maintenant

[mehN-tuh-nawn]

now

Referring to the present time or moment.

Example

Maintenant, il est temps de partir.

Now, it is time to leave.

malheureusement.

mah-luh-ruhz-MAHN

unfortunately.

This adverb expresses regret. Say it as 'ma-leu-reuz-man'. The 'h' is silent.

Example

Malheureusement, il pleut.

Unfortunately, it's raining.

Words in this phrase

malheureusement

[mah-luh-ruhz-MAHN]

unfortunately

Adverb expressing regret.

Example

Malheureusement, je n'ai pas d'argent.

Unfortunately, I have no money.

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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