ne...plus no longer
ne...jamais never
ne...rien nothing
ne...aucun(e) not a single one
ne...que only
ne...personne nobody
ne...ni...ni neither...nor
ne...nulle part nowhere
The negatives are used exactly like ne...pas ; but que in ne...que is placed directly before the noun it
limits. Rien and personne may be used as subjects: Personne n' est ici. Aucun(e) by definition is
singular, so the verb and nouns must also be changed to the singular. With ni...ni , all articles are
dropped except definite articles. Je n'ai ni caméra ni caméscope , but Je n'aime ni les chats ni les
chiens.
Il n' aime plus travailler. He no longer likes to work. (Or: He doesn't like to work anymore)
Nous ne voulons faire des achats que lundi. We want to go shopping only on Monday.
Elle ne déteste personne . She hates no one. (Or: She doesn't hate anyone.)
Negatives with Passé Composé
1. Ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais, and ne...rien
Ne comes before auxiliary verb, and the other part is between auxiliary and past participle.
Nous n'avons rien fait. We did nothing. Vous ne vous êtes pas ennuyés. You were not bored.
2. Ne...personne, ne...aucun, ne...ni...ni, ne...nulle part, and ne... que
Ne comes before the auxiliary verb, but the other part is after the past participle.
Il n'a écouté personne. He listened to no one . Il n'a fait aucune faute. He made not a single mistake.
* Use of ne ... pas de : In negative sentences, the partitives and indefinite articles become de before
the noun (unless the verb is être, then nothing changes.)
Partitive: Je prends du pain et du beurre. I'm having some bread and butter.
Negative: Je ne prends pas de pain ou de beurre. I am not having any bread or butter.
Indefinite: J'ai un chien. I have a dog.
Negative: Je n'ai pas de chien. I don't have a dog.
Verb is être: C'est une chatte brune. It's a brown cat.
Negative: Ce n'est pas une chatte brune. It's not a brown cat.
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