French Word of the Day

adj., none, not any, not a single

Used as an adjective to express the idea of none at all:
Savez-vous la limite de vitesse? Non, je n‘ai aucune idée.
Do you know the speed limit? No, I don’t have any idea.

Used at the beginning of a sentence:
Aucun livre n‘était dans le sac à dos.
Not a single book was in the backpack.

THE GRAMMAR
Whether used at the beginning or elsewhere in the sentence, aucun comes directly before the word it describes and ne must precede the verb. It can also be used as a one-word reply to a question:

• Vous n’avez vraiment aucune idée? (You really have no idea?)
• Aucune! (None at all!)

never

Il ne va jamais au cinéma le dimanche.
He never goes to the movies on Sundays.

THE GRAMMAR
The ne…jamais construction functions exactly like the ne…pas and ne…plus constructions, with the words surrounding the main verb. Unlike those, jamais can be used as a one-word reply to a question.

TODAY
We’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! Today’s example is one of many common negative constructions.

not

With present tense:
Je ne veux pas travailler.
I don’t want to work.
Note that ne…pas must surround the verb, in this case the word veux.

With a direct object:
Voulez-vous ce manteau? Non, je ne le veux pas.
Do you want this coat? No, I don’t want it.
Note than the direct object le must come after ne and before the verb.

With passé composé:
Je n‘ai pas dit ça.
I didn’t say that.
Note that ne…pas must surround the auxiliary verb in the past tense.

THE GRAMMAR
The most common of all negative structures in French, the construction ne…pas must be placed around the main verb. The ne comes before the verb, and pas follows it.

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

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no one, nobody

Used with the present tense:
Je ne vois personne au bureau.
I don’t see anyone in the office.

Used with the passé composé:
Je n‘ai entendu personne.
I heard no one.

Used as the subject of a sentence:
Personne ne vient ce soir.
Nobody’s coming tonight.

Used as a one-word reply:
Qui avez-vous vu? (Who have you seen?)
Personne! (No one!)

THE GRAMMAR
Did you notice the difference in the way ne…personne functions in the passé composé? Unlike the other negatives we’ve looked at this week in which the negative structure surrounds the auxiliary verb, personne actually comes after the past participle. For example, one would say je n’ai rien vu (I saw nothing), but je n’ai vu personne (I saw no one).

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz covering the past week’s words by clicking here.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
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no longer

Je ne vais plus au supermarché le samedi.
I no longer go to the supermarket on Saturdays.

THE GRAMMAR
Note how this construction must be placed around the verb. The ne comes before the verb, and plus follows it. As sentences become more complicated, ne…plus functions exactly like ne…pas from yesterday’s example.

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz covering the past week’s words by clicking here.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

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only

Used in the present tense:
Je n‘ai que trois dollars.
I only have three dollars.

Used in the passé composé:
Je n‘ai donné que cinq euros.
I only gave five euros.

THE GRAMMAR
The ne…que construction functions much like other negative constructions we’ve reviewed this week. It is a common way for the French to express a limited amount. Today’s example sentence would be the equivalent of J’ai seulement trois dollars — simply a different way to say it. As with other constructions, ne precedes the verb. However, take note that the placement of que will vary, depending upon what is being limited. Consider two similar sentences with different meanings:

• Il ne peut lire que le français. (He can read only French — as opposed to English or another language.)
• Il ne peut que lire le français. (He can only read French — as opposed to writing or speaking.)

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz covering the past week’s words by clicking here.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

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nothing, anything

Used with the present tense:
J’ai mal à l’estomac. Je ne mange rien.
I have a stomach ache. I’m not eating anything.

Used with the passé composé:
Je te jure, je n‘ai rien dit.
I swear to you, I said nothing.

Used as the subject of a sentence:
Rien n‘était prêt à manger.
Nothing was ready to eat.

THE GRAMMAR
Within a sentence, ne…rien surrounds the verb just like ne…pas and ne…plus. Unlike those examples, however, it also can be used as the subject of a sentence. Additionally, it can be used as a one-word reply to a question:

• Vous n’avez rien mangé? (You didn’t eat anything?)
• Rien! (Nothing)

TODAY
Our example is one of several negative expressions in French. To see more common examples, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s phrase and others about negation in French here.