Ne ... personne = No one/nobody (French Negations)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2023-02-15

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In French, to express not ... anyone, you use a specific negative structure: ne ... personne.

Negative sentences with "ne ... personne" in French

Look at these negative sentences:

Je ne vois personne.I see no one.
I don't see anyone.

Il n'entend personne.He hears no one.
He doesn't hear anyone

Je ne sors avec personne.I don't date anyone.

Ma soeur n'aime personne.My sister doesn't like anyone.

Just as the construction ne… pas is used to negate a sentence, use ne...personne to express no one / not anyone.

ATTENTION:

Personne on its own means ''no one'', but une personne means a person!

Qui est là ? - Personne.Who's there? -Nobody.

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Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Forme négative

Examples and resources

On ne reconnaît personne.We don't recognise anybody.
We recognise nobody.