5.8. Les expressions négatives

Additional Negative Expressions and the Restrictor ne… que

5.8.1. The Main Idea

French has several negative expressions beyond ne… pas.

ne… pas	not / do not
ne… jamais	never
ne… plus	no longer / not anymore
ne… rien	nothing / not anything
ne… personne	nobody / no one

French also has ne… que, which is not a true negative. It means only.

ne… que | only

5.8.2. Ne… plus

Ne… plus means no longer or not anymore.

Je travaille.	I work.
Je ne travaille plus.	I do not work anymore.
J’ai faim.	I am hungry.
Je n’ai plus faim.	I am not hungry anymore.
Il habite à Calgary.	He lives in Calgary.
Il n’habite plus à Calgary.	He no longer lives in Calgary.

5.8.3. Ne… rien

Ne… rien means nothing or not anything.

Je mange quelque chose.	I am eating something.
Je ne mange rien.	I am eating nothing. / I am not eating anything.
Il entend quelque chose.	He hears something.
Il n’entend rien.	He hears nothing. / He does not hear anything.
Nous faisons quelque chose.	We are doing something.
Nous ne faisons rien.	We are doing nothing. / We are not doing anything.

5.8.4. Ne… personne

Ne… personne means nobody or no one.

J’attends quelqu’un.	I am waiting for someone.
Je n’attends personne.	I am waiting for no one. / I am not waiting for anyone.
Il voit quelqu’un.	He sees someone.
Il ne voit personne.	He sees no one. / He does not see anyone.
Elle invite quelqu’un.	She invites someone.
Elle n’invite personne.	She invites no one. / She does not invite anyone.

5.8.5. Ne… que

Ne… que means only. It restricts the sentence.

Je bois du café.	I drink coffee.
Je ne bois que du café.	I only drink coffee.
Je prends un café.	I am having a coffee.
Je ne prends qu’un café.	I am only having one coffee.
Il a deux frères.	He has two brothers.
Il n’a qu’un frère.	He only has one brother.

Before a vowel sound, que becomes qu’.

que + un	qu’un
que + une	qu’une

5.8.6. Ne… que vs. Seulement

Ne… que and seulement can both mean only.

Je ne bois que du café.	I only drink coffee.
Je bois seulement du café.	I only drink coffee.
Il n’a qu’un frère.	He only has one brother.
Il a seulement un frère.	He only has one brother.

For beginners, seulement is easier. Ne… que is very common and important to recognize.

5.8.7. Word Order

The negative expression usually goes around the conjugated verb.

Je ne travaille plus.	I do not work anymore.
Je ne mange rien.	I eat nothing.
Je n’attends personne.	I am waiting for no one.
Je ne bois que du café.	I only drink coffee.

With two-verb structures, the negative expression usually goes around the first conjugated verb.

Je ne vais plus étudier.	I am not going to study anymore.
Je ne veux rien manger.	I do not want to eat anything.
Je ne vais inviter personne.	I am not going to invite anyone.
Je ne vais prendre qu’un café.	I am only going to have one coffee.

5.8.8. Common Contrast

Je n’ai pas faim.	I am not hungry.
Je n’ai plus faim.	I am not hungry anymore.
Je ne mange pas.	I am not eating.
Je ne mange rien.	I am eating nothing. / I am not eating anything.
Je n’attends pas mon ami.	I am not waiting for my friend.
Je n’attends personne.	I am not waiting for anyone.
Je ne prends pas de café.	I am not having coffee.
Je ne prends qu’un café.	I am only having one coffee.

5.8.9. Core Patterns

ne + verb + plus	no longer / not anymore
ne + verb + rien	nothing / not anything
ne + verb + personne	nobody / no one
ne + verb + que	only
Je n’ai plus ___ .	I do not have ___ anymore. / I am not ___ anymore.
Je ne fais rien.	I am doing nothing.
Je n’attends personne.	I am waiting for no one.
Je ne prends qu’un café.	I am only having one coffee.

5.8.10. Practice

I do not work anymore. |

I am not hungry anymore. |

I hear nothing. |

I am doing nothing. |

I am waiting for no one. |

He sees no one. |

I only drink coffee. |

I only have one brother. |

I am only having one coffee. |

5.8.11. Answers

I do not work anymore.	Je ne travaille plus.
I am not hungry anymore.	Je n’ai plus faim.
I hear nothing.	Je n’entends rien.
I am doing nothing.	Je ne fais rien.
I am waiting for no one.	Je n’attends personne.
He sees no one.	Il ne voit personne.
I only drink coffee.	Je ne bois que du café.
I only have one brother.	Je n’ai qu’un frère.
I am only having one coffee.	Je ne prends qu’un café.

5.8.12. Short Dialogue

A : Tu as encore faim ?	A: Are you still hungry?
B : Non, je n’ai plus faim. Et toi ?	B: No, I am not hungry anymore. And you?
A : Moi, je ne prends qu’un café.	A: I am only having one coffee.
B : Tu ne manges rien ?	B: You are not eating anything?
A : Non, je ne mange rien.	A: No, I am not eating anything.

5.8.13. Checkpoint

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to use additional negative expressions such as ne… plus, ne… rien, and ne… personne, and recognize that ne… que means only, not a true negative.