French grammar - Negative adjectives - aucun and nul |
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Many negative pronouns behave like adjectives. These therefore require a noun to qualify. Common ones include: • ne..aucun(e) means 'none' or 'not one' -- aucun(e) de is also commonly used to plural nouns at the start of a sentence. • ne..nul(le) means 'not any' -- nul(le) can only be used with collective or uncountable nouns, like liquids and emotions. • ne..guère de means 'hardly any (of something)' Like all French adjectives these pronouns need to agree with the gender of the noun. And like regular French adjectives, these pronouns should always come before the noun, even if they start a sentence. |
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Nous n'avons aucune idée.
We have no idea.
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Il n'a aucune amie.
He doesn't have any (female/girl) friends.
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Je n'ai aucun ami.
I don't have a friend.
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Je n'ai aucun talent.
I have no talent.
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Nous n'allons nulle part pour le Nouvel An.
We're not going anywhere for New Years.
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Nous n'avons aucune solution à ce problème.
We have no solution to this problem.
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Je ne trouve nulle eau.
I can't find any water. |
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Nulle part on ne peut voir un arbre dans le désert.
Nowhere can one see a tree in the desert.
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On ne peut voir un arbre nulle part dans le désert.
One cannot see a tree anywhere in the desert.
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Elle ne fait aucune faute.
She does not make any mistakes.
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Je ne lis aucun de ces livres.
I am not reading any of these books. |
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Je ne reçois aucun appel - mon téléphone est en panne.
I don't receive any phone calls - my phone is broken.
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Je ne bois guère de café.
I drink hardly any coffee. |
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Il ne reste guère de nourriture dans le frigo.
There remains hardly any food in the fridge. |
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Il n'y a guère de gens qui peuvent parler la langue celtique.
There are hardly any people who can speak the Celtic language. |
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Guère de gens ne restent dans la salle de conférence.
Not many people remain in the room.
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Nous n'avons guère d'argent sur notre compte bancaire.
We have hardly any money remaining in our bank account.
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Aucune idée.
(I have) no idea.
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Ils ne voient nul mal.
They don't see any harm.
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Aucun étudiant n'étudie l'allemand cette année.
No student is studying German this year.
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Aucun de mes amis n'habite en France.
None of my friends live in France.
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De toutes ses paroles, aucune n'est crédible.
Of all his∆her words, none is credible.
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