I don't understand in French is Je ne comprends pas (zhuh nuh kohm-PRAHN pah). In relaxed speech the ne often disappears: Je comprends pas. When you have just missed what someone said, Je n'ai pas compris (I didn't understand) is often more natural. Follow it with Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? to hear it again.
- I don't understand
- Je ne comprends pas
- Spoken
- Je comprends pas
- I didn't catch that
- Je n'ai pas compris
- Can you repeat?
- Vous pouvez répéter ?
- Level
- A1
Je ne comprends pas or je n'ai pas compris?
English uses "I don't understand" for both, but French often splits them. Je ne comprends pas describes a state: you don't follow, generally or right now. Je n'ai pas compris points at one moment that just went past you, which is usually the situation when a waiter or ticket inspector speaks quickly.
| French | English | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Je ne comprends pas. | I don't understand. | You can't follow; neutral |
| Je comprends pas. | I don't get it. | Everyday speech; the ne is dropped |
| Je n'ai pas compris. | I didn't understand / didn't catch that. | You missed what was just said |
| Je ne comprends rien. | I don't understand anything. | You are completely lost |
| Je ne comprends pas très bien le français. | I don't understand French very well. | Warning someone before they start |
| Pardon ? / Comment ? | Sorry? | Quick request to repeat |
French makes a verb negative by putting ne before it and pas after it. A Contos A1 chapter shows the pattern in its plainest form. Margot has just found a bright, spacious flat in the Marais, and the rent is far too low:
Et c'est six cents euros par mois. Elle ne comprend pas.How do you ask someone to repeat or slow down?
These are the lines worth memorising before a trip. With strangers use vous; with friends, swap vous pouvez for tu peux.
Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you repeat that, please?
Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.
More slowly, please.
Tu peux parler moins vite ?
Can you speak less quickly?
Informal.
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ?
What does that mean?
Comment on dit « receipt » en français ?
How do you say "receipt" in French?
Vous pouvez l'écrire ?
Can you write it down?
Is it rude to drop the ne?
Not in speech. Almost everyone says je comprends pas, je sais pas and c'est pas grave in conversation, and the full ne… pas can sound careful. In writing, in emails and in formal situations, keep the ne. As a learner you are never wrong to use the full form.
The other trap is savoir. Je ne sais pas means I don't know (a fact or an answer); je ne comprends pas means I don't understand (words or a situation). If someone asks for directions and you can't help, the answer is je ne sais pas, désolé(e).
Read short A1 French chapters at your level, and tap any word you don't understand to see its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce je ne comprends pas?
"zhuh nuh kohm-PRAHN pah". The d and s of comprends are silent, and om and en are nasal vowels. In fast speech it shrinks to something like "zhkom-PRAHN pah".
How do you say I understand in French?
Je comprends. To show you've got it after an explanation, say J'ai compris (I've understood), or casually D'accord, je vois (OK, I see).
How do you say I don't speak French?
Je ne parle pas français. More useful in practice is Je parle un peu français (I speak a little French), which invites people to slow down rather than switch language.
What does je n'y comprends rien mean?
I can't make head or tail of it. The y stands for the thing being discussed, and rien (nothing) replaces pas to make it stronger.