Today’s lesson explores the adverbial phrase pas du tout, meaning not at all and absolutely not. You must say “pas du tout” and not “pas de tout”. This is a common mistake among many students.

pas du tout

not at all, absolutely not

Pronunciation [pɑ dy tu]

Pas du tout – not at all

Example sentences

These first to example sentences use the structure ne + verb + pas du tout, meaning “not + verb + at all”.

Je n’aime pas du tout ces gens. Ils m’énervent !

I don’t like these people at all. They bother me.

This sentence uses the expression rien à voir, meaning “to have nothing to do with”.

Ces deux mots n’ont pas du tout le même sens. Rien à voir !

These two words don’t have the same meaning at all. Totally different!

In another lesson we covered dernier/dernière (last, most recent). The expression “quel navet !”, (literally “what a turnip”) means what a bad movie or dud.

Tu as aimé le dernier film de Depardieu ? – Pas du tout ! Quel navet !

Did you like Derpardieu’s most recent movie? – Not at all. What a dud!

More adverbial phrases

• Quand même – still, anyway
• De toute façon – anyway, anyhow
• Par rapport à – compared to

Word of the Day archive | Lessons by David Issokson

David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language learner and speaks over seven languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private lessons. When not teaching or writing his French Word of the Day lessons, David enjoys his time skiing, hiking and mountain biking in Victor, Idaho.

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