overwordExplorer
FRENCH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

pas.

step, pace, footstep

3 characters1 syllables approx.Français language

Meaning & usage

noun/pa//pɑ/[pɔ]Canada

  1. step, pace, footstep

    invariable · masculine

  2. strait, pass

    invariable · masculine
    Pas de Calais

  3. thread, pitch (of a screw or nut)

    invariable · masculine
Where this word comes from

Inherited from Old French pas, from Latin passus. Its use as an auxiliary negative adverb comes from an accusative use (Latin nec… passum) in negative constructions – literally “not… a step”, i.e. “not at all” – originally used with certain verbs of motion. In older French other nouns could also be used in this way, such as ne… goutte (“not… a drop”) and ne… mie (“not… a crumb”), but in the modern language pas has become grammaticalized.

adv/pa//pɑ/[pɔ]Canada

  1. The most common adverb of negation in French, typically translating into English as not, don't, doesn't, etc.

    Je ne sais pas.
    Ma grande sœur n'habite pas avec nous.

  2. used as an intensifier in underlying rhetorical questions, mostly with voilà

    colloquial
    Et v'là t-y pas qu'elle m'en colle une !
    Et me voilà pas arrivé sans un kopeck au bercail.
Where this word comes from

Inherited from Old French pas, from Latin passus. Its use as an auxiliary negative adverb comes from an accusative use (Latin nec… passum) in negative constructions – literally “not… a step”, i.e. “not at all” – originally used with certain verbs of motion. In older French other nouns could also be used in this way, such as ne… goutte (“not… a drop”) and ne… mie (“not… a crumb”), but in the modern language pas has become grammaticalized.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.