Elle ne regarde pas la télé.

HelenC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Elle ne regarde pas la télé.

Wouldn't this be: elle ne regarde pas de télé ...using "de" after pas?
Asked 6 years ago
DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
using 'de' after the negation is when you negate the thing after the verb. In this case, the negation is about not watching so it is a simple negation of the verb 'regarder'. 'Je n'ai pas de frère' is about no brothers. The 'de' in this case is like 'any' in English. 'J'ai des frères.' I have brothers. 'Je n'ai pas de frères.' I don't have any brothers.
CécileKwiziq team member

Hi Helen, 

We always say:

Elle ne regarde pas la télé = She doesn't watch tv

Ils n'écoutent pas la radio = They don't listen to radio

Nous ne parlons pas le français We don't speak French

Ses enfants n'aiment pas le chocolat = Her children don't like chocolate

It has nothing to do with the pas here.

If you say:

"Il n'a pas de télé" ( téléviseur), it means, 

"He has not got a tv"

Hope this helps!

MarnA1Kwiziq community member
Why would it be Il n’a pas DE télé and not ....pas le télé?  Why use “de” not “le”?
DeboraC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The rule in French is when you are using negation to say there isn’t any of something, the definite article goes away and is replaced by ‘de’.   « Il n’a pas de télé. » means he doesn’t have a TV set. Il a une télé. means he has a TV. Similar to what happens in English when we say “He has some ideas.” When that is negated “He does not have any idea.” The word ‘some’ changes to ‘any’. It’s one of those idiosyncrasies of language. Hard to explain but when you start using it correctly, your French will sound so much better.

Elle ne regarde pas la télé.

Wouldn't this be: elle ne regarde pas de télé ...using "de" after pas?

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