Final answer:
The most common negative expression in French is "ne ... pas", used to negate verbs by placing "ne" before and "pas" after the conjugated verb.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most common negative expression in French is "ne ... pas". It is used to negate a verb, placing "ne" before the conjugated verb and "pas" after it. For example, in the sentence "Je ne mange pas", which translates to "I do not eat", "ne" and "pas" are used together to create the negation.
There are variations to this structure depending on the tense and mood of the verb, as well as the sentence context. For instance, in the imperative mood, the "ne" part is often dropped, leaving just "pas". In literary or formal contexts, you might also see "ne" being used without "pas".
Another thing to keep in mind is that when the verb begins with a vowel sound, "ne" becomes "n'" for phonetic reasons, as in "Je n'entends pas" (I do not hear).