Imagine the transit strike notice: Tu ne peux prendre ni le bus, ni le métro, ni le tramway parce qu'ils sont en grève (You can't take the bus, the subway or the streetcar because they're on strike). One sentence rules out three options. Then the solution: Tu peux soit marcher, soit prendre un vélo en libre-service (You can either walk or take a bike-share bike). And the limitation: Il ne reste que deux vélos à la station (There are only two bikes left at the station). These three structures, ne… ni… ni (neither… nor), soit… soit (either… or) and ne… que (only), are how French talks about choices. You know ne… pas, ne… jamais, ne… plus, ne… rien and ne… personne from earlier grades; this lesson adds the structures that compare options, shows what happens to articles in each one, and shows how to stack negatives to say things like never again and nothing anymore.
Ne… ni… ni: neither… nor
| Positive | Negative with ni… ni | What happens to the article |
|---|---|---|
| J'aime le café et le thé. (I like coffee and tea.) | Je n'aime ni le café ni le thé. (I like neither coffee nor tea.) | Definite articles (le, la, les, l') stay. |
| J'ai un frère et une sœur. (I have a brother and a sister.) | Je n'ai ni frère ni sœur. (I have neither a brother nor a sister.) | Indefinite articles (un, une, des) usually disappear. |
| Il boit du lait et du jus. (He drinks milk and juice.) | Il ne boit ni lait ni jus. (He drinks neither milk nor juice.) | Partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des) usually disappear. |
| Elle parle à Léo et à Inès. (She talks to Léo and Inès.) | Elle ne parle ni à Léo ni à Inès. | Prepositions stay after each ni. |
Ni… ni… as the subject. When the two options are the subject, ni… ni comes first and ne goes right before the verb: Ni Paul ni Marie ne sont venus (Neither Paul nor Marie came). The verb is usually plural; the singular is also accepted when only one of the two could do the action: Ni Paul ni Marc ne sera élu président du conseil (Neither Paul nor Marc will be elected council president, since only one person can be). Short replies: Moi non plus (me neither) answers a negative statement: Je n'aime pas les films d'horreur. Moi non plus. (I don't like horror movies. Me neither.) Sans… ni: after sans (without), the second option is introduced by ni: un café sans sucre ni lait (a coffee with no sugar or milk).
Soit… soit and ou… ou: either… or
- On peut soit prendre le train, soit louer une voiture. — We can either take the train or rent a car.
- Soit tu m'aides, soit tu me laisses travailler. — Either you help me or you let me work.
- Le cours a lieu soit le lundi, soit le mercredi. — The class is held either on Monday or on Wednesday.
- Ou tu viens, ou tu restes ! — Either you come or you stay!
- Ou bien on part maintenant, ou bien on rate le début. — Either we leave now or we miss the start.
- Plain ou between two options: du thé ou du café ? — tea or coffee?
Ne… que: only (a restriction, not a negation)
Ne… que looks negative but means only, exactly like seulement: Je n'ai que dix dollars = J'ai seulement dix dollars (I only have ten dollars). The sentence is actually positive: you do have ten dollars. That is why the articles do not change to de: Il ne mange que des légumes (He only eats vegetables), Je ne bois que du lait (I only drink milk). Compare the real negation Je ne bois pas de lait (I don't drink milk). The que goes directly in front of the word or phrase being restricted, so moving it changes the meaning: Je ne travaille que le samedi (I work only on Saturdays) versus Je ne travaille le samedi que pour payer mes études (On Saturdays, I work only to pay for my education).
Stacking negative words
| Combination | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ne… plus jamais | never again | Je ne prendrai plus jamais ce raccourci. | I'll never take that shortcut again. |
| ne… plus rien | nothing anymore | Il ne reste plus rien dans le frigo. | There's nothing left in the fridge. |
| ne… plus personne | no one anymore | On ne voit plus personne dans ce parc. | You don't see anyone in this park anymore. |
| ne… jamais rien | never anything | Elle ne dit jamais rien. | She never says anything. |
| ne… plus que | only … left / now only | Il ne reste plus que deux places. | There are only two seats left. |
- Annonce : En raison de la grève, ni les autobus ni le métro ne circuleront demain. — Because of the strike, neither the buses nor the subway will run tomorrow.
- Annonce : Les usagers pourront soit utiliser les vélos en libre-service, soit prendre les navettes gratuites. — Riders will be able either to use the bike-share bikes or to take the free shuttles.
- Annonce : Attention : il ne restera que quelques navettes après 18 h. — Note: only a few shuttles will remain after 6 p.m.
- Annonce : Les billets mensuels ne seront plus jamais remboursés après le 5 du mois. — Monthly passes will no longer ever be refunded after the 5th of the month.