ne … plus – not anymore/no more
e.g. Je ne suis plus là – I’m not there
anymore
ne … jamais - never
e.g Je ne suis jamais allée là-bas – I’ve never been there before
ne … que – only
Je ne mange que les pâtes – I only eat pasta
ne … pas toujours – not always
e.g. Il n’est pas toujours gentil – He isn’t always kind
ne … pas encore – not yet
e.g. il n’a pas encore 18 ans – he isn’t 18 yet
ne … pas du tout – not at all
e.g. il n’aime pas du tout sa sœur – he doesn’t like his sister at all
ne … pas non plus – neither/either
e.g. Il n’aime pas non plus les choux de Bruxelles – he doesn’t like brussel sprouts either
ne … aucunement – not at all
e.g. je n’en suis aucunement responsible – I am not at all/in no way responsable
ne … guère – barely/hardly
e.g. Il n’a guère mangé – he has barely eaten
ne … nullement – not at all
E.g. je n’ai nullement l’intention de vous aider – I have no intention to help you
ne … nulle part – nowhere
e.g. il n’est nulle part – he’s nowhere/he isn’t anywhere
ne … point – not (literary, or used for emphasis)
E.g. je ne fus point bouleversée par ce qu’il me dit – I was not at all upset by what he told me
Exercise:
(you may get a bit confused with the two ‘at alls’, but they have slightly different uses, so look at the examples again to pick the right one)
1. Eve hardly looked at me last night.
2. I have no intention of going out with him.
3. Léo didn’t go anywhere darling, he died.
4. Sarah doesn’t like Marie at all.
5. He doesn’t always kiss me.
6. He can’t drive yet.
7. I was not annoyed (literary)!
8. He won’t benefit at all from this project.
9. He only sleeps!
10. Anne never visits her mother.
11. Louis doesn’t love me anymore.
12. Ryo doesn’t like cats either.