What does n'est-ce pas mean?

It is the French tag question, covering isn't it, doesn't he, won't they, and every other English tag. It comes at the end of a statement and asks the listener to confirm it: il fait froid, n'est-ce pas ?

Does n'est-ce pas change with the verb?

Never. Whatever the subject, tense, or verb of the main clause, the tag stays identical: tu viendras, n'est-ce pas ? and elles sont parties, n'est-ce pas ? That is the main way it is easier than the English system.

Is n'est-ce pas formal?

Slightly. It is entirely correct in speech but sounds careful, and in conversation most people say non or hein instead: tu viens, non ? In writing, in a presentation, or with someone you address as vous, n'est-ce pas is the natural choice.

How do I answer a question ending in n'est-ce pas?

If the statement was positive, oui or non. If it was negative and you want to contradict it, use si: ce n'est pas fermé, n'est-ce pas ? — Si, depuis midi. Answering oui there would be wrong.

Why is it written with an apostrophe and a hyphen?

Because it is a frozen inversion of ce n'est pas: the ne elides to n' before est, and the inverted subject ce is attached with a hyphen, exactly as in est-ce que. That fossilised spelling never varies.

French grammar · Beginner

N'est-ce Pas: The One French Tag Question

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

N'est-ce pas is the French tag question, and it covers every English tag at once: isn't it, doesn't he, won't they, didn't we. It never changes form, whatever the verb or the subject of the main sentence, and it invites the listener to agree.

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

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

What it is

English rebuilds its tag question from the verb of the sentence, which is why it has dozens of them. French does not: it adds a single frozen block, n'est-ce pas, made of an inverted ce n'est pas. Because it is frozen, you never have to work out which verb or tense to echo.

Il fait beau, n'est-ce pas ? — It's nice weather, isn't it?

How to spot it

It always comes at the end, after a comma, and the sentence in front of it is a statement rather than a question. The question mark belongs to the tag.

Vous êtes le nouveau directeur, n'est-ce pas ? — You're the new director, aren't you?
Elle a déjà répondu, n'est-ce pas ? — She's already answered, hasn't she?
Ils viendront demain, n'est-ce pas ? — They'll come tomorrow, won't they?
Ce n'était pas si difficile, n'est-ce pas ? — It wasn't that hard, was it?

French puts a space before the question mark, so the phrase is written n'est-ce pas ? with the space included.

N'est-ce Pas Quick Reference

One French tag, many English ones

French	English tag	Note
Tu as compris, n'est-ce pas ?	haven't you?	the tag never echoes the verb
Il est tard, n'est-ce pas ?	isn't it?	the neutral, all-purpose case
Elles partiront, n'est-ce pas ?	won't they?	future in the main clause, tag unchanged
Tu ne le savais pas, n'est-ce pas ?	did you?	works after a negative statement too
Tu viens, non ?	you're coming, right?	conversational
Tu viens, hein ?	you're coming, eh?	very casual
Tu viens, d'accord ?	all right?	asking for agreement to a plan
C'est ça ?	is that right?	checking a fact rather than seeking agreement

Common N'est-ce Pas Examples in French

N'est-ce pas and the alternatives that replace it in speech:

Seeking Agreement

C'est une bonne idée, n'est-ce pas ?: It's a good idea, isn't it?
Nous nous sommes déjà rencontrés, n'est-ce pas ?: We've met before, haven't we?
Vous parlez français, n'est-ce pas ?: You speak French, don't you?
Le train part à huit heures, n'est-ce pas ?: The train leaves at eight, doesn't it?

The speaker already believes the statement and is asking the listener to confirm it.

After a Negative Statement

Tu n'as pas oublié, n'est-ce pas ?: You haven't forgotten, have you?
Ce n'est pas trop cher, n'est-ce pas ?: It isn't too expensive, is it?
Elle ne travaille plus ici, n'est-ce pas ?: She doesn't work here any more, does she?

English flips the tag to positive after a negative sentence. French does not: n'est-ce pas stays as it is.

The Spoken Alternatives

Tu viens, non ?: You're coming, right?
On se voit demain, hein ?: We'll see each other tomorrow, yeah?
C'est bien lui, c'est ça ?: That's him, isn't it?
Tu m'écoutes, oui ?: Are you listening to me, or what?

Non is the everyday tag, hein is informal, and oui at the end carries impatience.

Rhetorical and Formal Uses

Nous sommes tous concernés, n'est-ce pas ?: This concerns all of us, does it not?
La question mérite d'être posée, n'est-ce pas ?: The question is worth asking, is it not?
Il faut bien vivre, n'est-ce pas ?: One has to live, doesn't one?

In a speech or an essay, n'est-ce pas builds a rhetorical question that expects no real answer.

How N'est-ce Pas Works

Four facts, and the first one removes most of the difficulty English speakers expect.

It Never Changes

The tag does not agree with the subject, does not echo the verb, and does not follow the tense of the sentence. Il viendra, n'est-ce pas ? and ils sont partis, n'est-ce pas ? use the identical block.

Vous aviez réservé, n'est-ce pas ?

You had booked, hadn't you?

One tag for every sentence.

It Is a Fossilised Inversion

Inside it sits ce n'est pas with the subject and verb swapped: n'est-ce. That is why the apostrophe and the hyphen are always there, and why it cannot be broken apart or reworded.

C'est bien ce que tu voulais, n'est-ce pas ?

That's what you wanted, isn't it?

n' + est + ce + pas, always in that order.

It Expects Agreement

The tag signals that the speaker thinks the statement is true. To ask a genuinely open question you would use inversion or est-ce que instead, which carry no expectation either way.

Tu as fermé la porte, n'est-ce pas ?

You did shut the door, didn't you?

A tag asks for confirmation, not information.

Speech Prefers Non and Hein

In conversation, n'est-ce pas sounds careful, and many speakers find it slightly formal or bookish. The everyday equivalents are non at the end of the sentence and, more casually, hein.

On y va, non ?

Shall we go, then?

Written or careful: n'est-ce pas. Spoken: non.

Common Mistakes with N'est-ce Pas

Incorrect: Tu es prêt, n'est-il pas ? — You're ready, aren't you?

Correct: Tu es prêt, n'est-ce pas ? — You're ready, aren't you?

English rebuilds the tag from the subject and verb, so learners try to make the French one agree. It is a frozen block containing ce, and nothing inside it can be changed.

Incorrect: Tu n'as pas froid ? — Oui, un peu. — Aren't you cold? — Yes, a bit.

Correct: Tu n'as pas froid ? — Si, un peu. — Aren't you cold? — Yes, a bit.

Contradicting a negative question requires si, not oui. Oui after a negative leaves the listener unsure whether you are agreeing or disagreeing.

Incorrect: N'est-ce pas tu viens avec nous ? — You're coming with us, aren't you?

Correct: Tu viens avec nous, n'est-ce pas ? — You're coming with us, aren't you?

The tag can only come at the end, after a complete statement. It cannot open a sentence or replace est-ce que.

Incorrect: Est-ce que tu viens, n'est-ce pas ? — You're coming, aren't you?

Correct: Tu viens, n'est-ce pas ? — You're coming, aren't you?

A tag attaches to a statement, not to a question. Using est-ce que as well asks the same thing twice, and the sentence has no shape a French speaker would recognise.

Answering a Tag Question

This is where French has something English lacks, and where a wrong answer says the opposite of what you mean.

Si contradicts a negative

French has three answer words rather than two. Oui agrees with a positive question, non agrees with a negative one, and si contradicts a negative one.

Tu n'as pas faim ? — Si, un peu.: You're not hungry? — Yes I am, a bit.
Ce n'est pas trop tard, n'est-ce pas ? — Si, malheureusement.: It isn't too late, is it? — I'm afraid it is.
Tu ne viens pas ? — Non, je reste ici.: You're not coming? — No, I'm staying here.

Answering oui to a negative question is the classic error, and it leaves your listener genuinely unsure what you meant.

Confirming with more than a word

A bare oui can sound curt. French usually adds a short phrase, often echoing the verb or using an adverb of agreement.

Tout à fait.: Absolutely.
Oui, exactement.: Yes, exactly.
En effet, c'est bien ça.: Indeed, that's right.
Oui, absolument.: Yes, absolutely.

Tout à fait and en effet are the standard confirmations in a professional conversation.

Disagreeing politely

To contradict the assumption behind the tag, French softens with a phrase before the correction rather than starting with a flat non.

Pas exactement, en fait.: Not exactly, actually.
Justement, non.: That's just it, no.
Eh bien, pas tout à fait.: Well, not quite.

Justement is a useful signal that you are about to correct what the other person assumed.

N'est-ce Pas FAQs

What does n'est-ce pas mean?: It is the French tag question, covering isn't it, doesn't he, won't they, and every other English tag. It comes at the end of a statement and asks the listener to confirm it: il fait froid, n'est-ce pas ?
Does n'est-ce pas change with the verb?: Never. Whatever the subject, tense, or verb of the main clause, the tag stays identical: tu viendras, n'est-ce pas ? and elles sont parties, n'est-ce pas ? That is the main way it is easier than the English system.
Is n'est-ce pas formal?: Slightly. It is entirely correct in speech but sounds careful, and in conversation most people say non or hein instead: tu viens, non ? In writing, in a presentation, or with someone you address as vous, n'est-ce pas is the natural choice.
How do I answer a question ending in n'est-ce pas?: If the statement was positive, oui or non. If it was negative and you want to contradict it, use si: ce n'est pas fermé, n'est-ce pas ? — Si, depuis midi. Answering oui there would be wrong.
Why is it written with an apostrophe and a hyphen?: Because it is a frozen inversion of ce n'est pas: the ne elides to n' before est, and the inverted subject ce is attached with a hyphen, exactly as in est-ce que. That fossilised spelling never varies.