Negative Expressions
RECALL: Negative expressions always contain two components. If ne pas is not used, pas must be OMITTED.
Special Cases:
1) Rien ne is used as the subject of a sentence.
Ex. Rien ne m'intéresse. Nothing interests me.
2) Jamais by itself also means never.
Ex. Est-tu allé à l'opéra? Jamais. Did you go to the opera? Never.
Jamais can also be translated into ever.
Ex. As-tu jamais vu cet opéra? Did you ever see this opera?
3) Personne ne is used as the subject of a sentence.
Ex. Personne n'est arrivé à l'heure. No one came on time.
4) Aucune is always used in the third person singular.
5) Ne......ni.......ni
She neither sings nor dances in front of her friends because she is shy.
Subject + N' + auxiliary verb + past participle + Ni + noun + Ni + noun
Il n'a vu ni Pierre ni Edmond.
Subject + N' + auxiliary verb + Ni + past participle + Ni + past participle
Je n'ai ni chanté ni dansé.
Ex. Rien ne m'intéresse. Nothing interests me.
2) Jamais by itself also means never.
Ex. Est-tu allé à l'opéra? Jamais. Did you go to the opera? Never.
Jamais can also be translated into ever.
Ex. As-tu jamais vu cet opéra? Did you ever see this opera?
3) Personne ne is used as the subject of a sentence.
Ex. Personne n'est arrivé à l'heure. No one came on time.
4) Aucune is always used in the third person singular.
5) Ne......ni.......ni
- Whenever this negative expression is used with verbs that indicate likes or dislikes such as aimer, préférer, détester, the article must be used before the noun. Ex. Je n'aime ni le café ni le thé.
- However, when another verb is used, the article is not used before the noun. Ex. Je ne veux ni café ni thé.
- When the expression is used with two verbs, the order of the negatives is different.
She neither sings nor dances in front of her friends because she is shy.
- In compound tenses, the placement of Ne......ni........ni is as follows:
Subject + N' + auxiliary verb + past participle + Ni + noun + Ni + noun
Il n'a vu ni Pierre ni Edmond.
Subject + N' + auxiliary verb + Ni + past participle + Ni + past participle
Je n'ai ni chanté ni dansé.
Multiple Negatives
It is important to remember that pas is not used in a multiple negative.
1) Jamais + plus, personne, rien
Ex. Je ne l'ai jamais plus rencontré à la plage. I never met him again at the beach.
Elle ne voit jamais personne. She never sees anyone.
Il ne fait jamais rien en classe. He never does anything in class.
2) Rien + personne
Ex. Elle n'a rien offert à personne. She didn't offer anything to anyone.
3) plus + rien
Ex. Je n'ai plus rien acheté dans ce magasin. I no longer bought anything in this store.
4) plus + personne
Ex. Ils n'invitent plus personne. They no longer invite anyone.
5) plus + jamais
Ex. Je te promets de ne plus jamais mentir. I promise you that I will never lie again.
6) jamais + plus + personne
Ex. Je ne veux jamais plus voir personne. I never want to see anyone again.
7) jamais + plus + rien
Ex. Ils ne font jamais plus rien. They never do anything anymore.
1) Jamais + plus, personne, rien
Ex. Je ne l'ai jamais plus rencontré à la plage. I never met him again at the beach.
Elle ne voit jamais personne. She never sees anyone.
Il ne fait jamais rien en classe. He never does anything in class.
2) Rien + personne
Ex. Elle n'a rien offert à personne. She didn't offer anything to anyone.
3) plus + rien
Ex. Je n'ai plus rien acheté dans ce magasin. I no longer bought anything in this store.
4) plus + personne
Ex. Ils n'invitent plus personne. They no longer invite anyone.
5) plus + jamais
Ex. Je te promets de ne plus jamais mentir. I promise you that I will never lie again.
6) jamais + plus + personne
Ex. Je ne veux jamais plus voir personne. I never want to see anyone again.
7) jamais + plus + rien
Ex. Ils ne font jamais plus rien. They never do anything anymore.