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Negation · jamais / rien / personne / plus

Beyond ne…pas: ne…jamais (never), ne…rien (nothing), ne…personne (no one), ne…plus (no more / no longer), ne…pas encore (not yet).

Examples

  • Je ne mange jamais de viande.I never eat meat.
  • Il n'y a rien.There is nothing.

How it works

French has a family of ne…X pairs beyond ne…pas. They all wrap the verb the same way; only the second word changes.

ne…jamais — never

Je ne fume jamais.I never smoke.
Tu ne dis jamais oui.You never say yes.

ne…rien — nothing (stands in for an OBJECT)

Je ne vois rien.I see nothing.
Il ne mange rien.He isn't eating anything.

ne…personne — nobody (stands in for a PERSON)

Je ne connais personne.I know nobody.
Personne n'est là.Nobody is there.
(personne can be the subject)

ne…plus — not any more, no longer

Je n'ai plus faim.I'm not hungry any more.
Elle n'habite plus à Paris.

She no longer lives in Paris.

ne…pas encore — not yet (it may still happen)

Je n'ai pas encore mangé.

I haven't eaten yet.

ne…que — only. Restrictive, not really a negative. Do not add pas:

Je ne bois que de l'eau.I only drink water.
Je ne bois pas que de l'eau.

ni…ni — neither…nor. The articles often drop:

Il ne veut ni thé ni café.He wants neither tea nor coffee.
Il ne veut pas ni thé ni café.

Two second parts can stack on one ne (still not a new pattern):

Je n'ai plus jamais faim.I'm never hungry any more.

RULES THAT APPLY TO ALL OF THEM:

1. un / une / des and du / de la ("a", "some") still drop to DE:

Je n'ai jamais DE temps.
I never have time.

2. In the passé composé most of them sit between the auxiliary (helper verb: ai, est) and the participle (past form: mangé):

Je n'ai jamais mangé.I have never eaten.
Je n'ai rien dit.I said nothing.
But personne goes AFTER the participle:
Je n'ai vu personne.I saw nobody.

3. As subjects, rien and personne come first, followed by ne:

Personne ne parle.Nobody is talking.
Rien n'est facile.Nothing is easy.

4. In casual speech the ne is usually dropped. It's not correct writing, but it is what you will hear:

Je sais pas.Dunno.

What you'll practise

  1. 1. ne … jamais (never)

    Like ne…pas, but means 'never'. Indefinite articles still become de.

    • Je ne fume jamais.I never smoke.

  2. 2. ne … rien (nothing)

    Object equivalent of 'nothing'. Goes after the verb.

    • Je ne vois rien.I see nothing.

  3. 3. ne … personne (no one)

    'No one'. Note: in the passé composé, personne goes AFTER the past form (Je n'ai vu personne).

    • Je ne connais personne.I know no one.

  4. 4. ne … plus (no longer / no more)

    Stops a state or action. Articles still become de.

    • Je n'ai plus de pain.I have no more bread.

  5. 5. ne … pas encore (not yet)

    Marks something that hasn't happened YET (might still happen).

    • Je n'ai pas encore mangé.I haven't eaten yet.

  6. 6. ne … que (only)

    Restricts to one thing: Je ne bois que de l'eau. Do not add pas.

    • Je ne bois que de l'eau.I only drink water.

  7. 7. ni … ni (neither…nor)

    Il ne veut ni thé ni café. The articles often drop. Do not add pas.

    • Il ne veut ni thé ni café.He wants neither tea nor coffee.

  8. 8. Two negatives together

    One ne, two second parts: Je n'ai plus jamais faim.

    • Je n'ai plus jamais faim.I'm never hungry any more.

Practise it until it sticks

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