n'est-ce pas

Tag Question with N'est-ce Pas

Level 1

Use n'est-ce pas at the end of a statement to seek confirmation or agreement. It is the French equivalent of English tags like 'right?', 'don't you?', or 'isn't it?'

How It Works

The expression n'est-ce pas (literally "is it not?") is a formal to neutral way to turn a statement into a question when you expect the listener to agree with you.

1. Placement and Punctuation
It is almost always placed at the very end of a complete sentence, separated by a comma. For example: Il fait beau, n'est-ce pas ? (It's nice out, isn't it?)

2. Invariance
One of the easiest things about this pattern is that it is a fixed block. You do not need to conjugate it or match it to the gender or number of the subject. Whether you are talking about yourself, a group, or a past event, it remains n'est-ce pas.

3. Register and Usage
While n'est-ce pas is very common after positive statements, it is also perfectly acceptable to use it after a negative sentence to confirm that something will not happen (e.g., Vous n'oublierez pas, n'est-ce pas ?).

In everyday spoken French, natives often use more casual alternatives like non ? or pas vrai ? (not true?) at the end of the sentence. If you want to contradict a negative question with a "yes," remember to use si instead of oui.

4. Pronunciation
In natural speech, it is pronounced roughly as [ness-pah]. The 'e' in 'ce' is usually dropped, and the 't' in 'est' is silent.

Examples (5)

  1. Tu viens avec nous, n'est-ce pas ?

    You're coming with us, aren't you?

    Word by Word: You come with us, is it not?

    Here, 'n'est-ce pas' acts as the tag 'aren't you' to confirm the listener's plans.

  2. C'est une belle journée, n'est-ce pas ?

    It's a beautiful day, isn't it?

    Word by Word: It is a beautiful day, is it not?

    A classic use of the tag to seek agreement on a shared observation.

  3. Vous avez déjà fini, n'est-ce pas ?

    You have already finished, haven't you?

    Word by Word: You have already finished, is it not?

    Even with a compound tense like the passé composé, the tag remains 'n'est-ce pas'.

  4. Elle sera là, n'est-ce pas ?

    She will be there, won't she?

    Word by Word: She will be there, is it not?

    This shows the tag's invariance; it does not change even when the main verb is in the future tense.

  5. Tu n'oublieras pas, n'est-ce pas ?

    You won't forget, will you?

    Word by Word: You will not forget, is it not?

    The tag can also be used after a negative statement to seek confirmation.

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to conjugate the tag to match the subject of the sentence.

    Tu es prêt, n'es-tu pas ?
    Tu es prêt, n'est-ce pas ?

    In English, we say 'aren't you' to match 'you are'. In French, you must always use the fixed form 'n'est-ce pas' regardless of the subject.

  • Placing the tag at the beginning of the sentence.

    N'est-ce pas tu aimes le chocolat ?
    Tu aimes le chocolat, n'est-ce pas ?

    As a tag question, it belongs at the end of the statement it is questioning.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

n'est-ce pasLevel 1Tag Question with N'est-ce Pas

Learn This First

To use 'n'est-ce pas', you first need to be able to form a basic statement in French using standard word order. You also need to understand the 'c'est' construction and how basic negation works, as the tag is a fixed negative question form of 'c'est'.

Words in This Pattern

n'est-ce pas