French Phrase
Non, il pleut pas.
Meaning
The speaker is denying a previous suggestion or question, stating that it is not raining. The sentence is informal because the spoken negation drops the 'ne'.
When to use
Use this phrase when someone asks if it is raining or suggests an outdoor activity and you need to say that the weather is dry. It works in casual conversation, especially among friends or family.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Non,ilpleutpas
Negation with pas
In spoken French, the negation is formed with 'ne' (often dropped) + 'pas'. Here 'ne' is omitted, leaving 'pas' after the verb.
Subject pronoun il
The pronoun 'il' refers to 'it' when talking about weather; it is always used for impersonal weather statements.
Verb pleuvoir
Pleuvoir is an impersonal verb meaning 'to rain'. It only conjugates in the third person singular.
Comma after Non
A comma separates the short answer 'Non' from the rest of the sentence, mirroring natural spoken pauses.
🗨In Conversation
Il va pleuvoir aujourd'hui ?
Is it going to rain today?
Non, il pleut pas.
No, it isn’t raining.
✕Common Mistakes
Non, il pleut pas.
In formal contexts you should keep the 'ne' (il ne pleut pas).
Non, elle pleut pas.
Never use 'elle' for weather; the impersonal pronoun is always 'il'.
Non il pleut pas.
A comma or pause is needed after 'Non' to separate the short answer from the clause.
↔Alternatives
Non, il ne pleut pas.
No, it isn’t raining.
Pas de pluie.
No rain.
Il ne pleut pas du tout.
It isn’t raining at all.
Cultural Tip
In French, weather is often discussed using impersonal constructions like 'il pleut', 'il fait chaud', etc. When speaking informally, the 'ne' in the negation is frequently dropped, especially in everyday conversation and among younger speakers. In formal writing or news reports, keep the full 'ne ... pas' construction.