ne...plus

No Longer with Ne...plus

Level 2

The 'ne...plus' structure means 'no longer' or 'not anymore.' It replaces the standard 'ne...pas' when you want to show that something used to happen but has now ceased.

How It Works

1. Meaning and Usage
The expression ne...plus is used to express the end of a habit or a state. For example, while Je ne fume pas simply means 'I don't smoke,' Je ne fume plus implies 'I don't smoke anymore (but I used to).'

2. Placement Rules

  • Simple Tenses: The two parts surround the verb.
    Example: Je ne mange plus de viande. (I no longer eat meat.)
  • Compound Tenses: The parts surround the auxiliary verb (avoir or être).
    Example: Il n'a plus travaillé. (He didn't work anymore.)
  • Infinitives: Both parts usually come before the infinitive.
    Example: Il a décidé de ne plus fumer. (He decided to no longer smoke.)

3. Pronunciation and Register
In the negative sense, the final -s of plus is silent (/ply/). However, if the next word starts with a vowel, a liaison occurs, and the -s sounds like a /z/.

In casual spoken French, the ne is often dropped. In this case, the silent -s is the only way to distinguish 'no more' (/ply/) from 'more' (/plys/).

4. Article Changes
Just like with ne...pas, the articles un, une, des, du, de la usually change to de after the negation of a verb like avoir or vouloir. They do not change after être (Ce n'est plus un secret).
Example: Je n'ai plus de café. (I don't have any more coffee.)

Examples (5)

  1. Je ne veux plus de café, merci.

    I don't want any more coffee, thank you.

    Word by Word: I (ne) want no more of coffee, thank you.

    Notice how the partitive article 'du' changes to 'de' after the negation.

  2. Elle n'habite plus à Paris.

    She no longer lives in Paris.

    Word by Word: She (n') lives no more at Paris.

    This implies she used to live in Paris but has moved.

  3. Nous ne nous parlons plus.

    We don't talk to each other anymore.

    Word by Word: We (ne) ourselves speak no more.

    This uses a reflexive verb to show a change in a relationship.

  4. Il a décidé de ne plus manger de sucre.

    He decided to no longer eat sugar.

    Word by Word: He has decided to (ne) no more eat of sugar.

    With an infinitive (manger), both 'ne' and 'plus' stay together before the verb.

  5. Je n'ai plus faim.

    I am no longer hungry.

    Word by Word: I (n') have no more hunger.

    A common idiomatic expression using 'avoir faim'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'pas' together with 'plus'.

    Il ne mange plus pas de viande.
    Il ne mange plus de viande.

    'Ne... plus' already makes the sentence negative, so you cannot add 'pas'.

  • Keeping the partitive article (du, de la, des) after the negation.

    Je n'ai plus du pain.
    Je n'ai plus de pain.

    After a negated verb like 'avoir' or 'vouloir' (with 'ne...pas' or 'ne...plus'), partitive and indefinite articles usually change to 'de'. They stay the same after 'être' (Ce n'est plus un secret).

  • Confusing 'no longer' with 'not yet'.

    Je ne suis plus arrivé.
    Je ne suis pas encore arrivé.

    'Ne...plus' means something has stopped. 'Ne...pas encore' means something hasn't happened yet. You cannot 'no longer arrive' if you haven't arrived at all.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ne...plusLevel 2No Longer with Ne...plus

Learn This First

To understand 'ne...plus', you first need to be familiar with the basic structure of French negation using 'ne...pas', as 'plus' simply replaces 'pas' to change the meaning to 'no longer'. You also need a basic grasp of verb conjugation to know where to place these markers.

Words in This Pattern