Vocabularium

I’ve used this phrase many times and only just realized I have not covered it yet.

n’est-ce pas (n’est-ce pas): / nehs PAH / (always italicized)
foreign interrogative

(1) used at the end of a declarative statement to inquire as to the validity of what has been said; equivalent to adding “right?” or “isn’t it so?” or another confirming interrogatory (e.g., “You didn’t like the movie, is that not so?”)
(2) used at the end of a declarative statement to emphasize what is already known to be true as stated (e.g., “The tornado destroyed the town, didn’t it?”)
(3) used as a standalone interrogatory following a declarative statement (e.g., “I told him he couldn’t go to the party. Didn’t I, Josh?”)

[From French n’est-ce pas loosely meaning “is that not so.” Although considered too posh in some circles for general French conversation (replaced with hein or pas vrai), the phrase is widely accepted in English. It generally follows a declarative statement, not a question, and the inflection is placed on the second syllable to form an interrogatory. Its use always assumes an affirmative response (i.e., it is not used to ask a negative question or one to which a reply will be offered other than “yes” or general agreement). It is essentially a rhetorical question.]

Usage: I know you disagree with almost everything I say, n’est-ce pas?

One note on this: I have seen it written using a c with cedilla (i.e., n’est-çe pas) instead of a flat c.  I do not think that is correct, although I likewise will add my French is more than a bit rusty.  If you know better than I whether the cedilla is correct or not, please speak up.

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