ne...rien

Nothing with Ne...rien

Level 2

The French negation ne...rien means 'nothing' or 'not...anything'. It replaces the standard ne...pas when you want to negate the object or subject of a sentence.

How It Works

1. Basic Word Order
In simple tenses like the present, ne comes before the verb and rien follows it:

  • Je ne mange rien. (I am eating nothing.)

2. Compound Tenses and Dual Verbs
In compound tenses (like the passé composé) or with semi-auxiliaries (like vouloir or pouvoir), rien is placed between the two verbs:

  • Je n'ai rien vu. (I saw nothing.)
  • Je ne peux rien faire. (I can do nothing.)

3. Using Rien as a Subject
When 'nothing' is the subject, Rien starts the sentence, but you must still include ne before the verb:

  • Rien ne change. (Nothing changes.)

4. Rien with Adjectives
To say 'nothing new' or 'nothing interesting', add the preposition de before the adjective. The adjective is invariable and must always be masculine singular:

  • Il n'y a rien de nouveau. (There is nothing new.)

5. Prepositions and Infinitives
If rien is the object of a preposition, it follows that preposition (Je ne pense à rien). With a lone infinitive, both ne and rien usually precede it (Il est important de ne rien dire).

6. Casual Speech
In informal spoken French, the ne is often dropped:

  • Je vois rien. (I don't see anything.)

Examples (6)

  1. Je ne regrette rien.

    I regret nothing.

    Word by Word: I [ne] regret nothing.

    A classic example in the present tense where 'ne' and 'rien' surround the conjugated verb.

  2. Il n'a rien dit pendant le cours.

    He didn't say anything during the class.

    Word by Word: He [ne] has nothing said during the class.

    In the passé composé, 'rien' sits between the auxiliary 'a' and the past participle 'dit'.

  3. Je ne veux rien manger ce soir.

    I don't want to eat anything tonight.

    Word by Word: I [ne] want nothing to eat this evening.

    With semi-auxiliary verbs like vouloir, 'rien' is placed between the conjugated verb and the infinitive.

  4. Rien n'est impossible.

    Nothing is impossible.

    Word by Word: Nothing [ne] is impossible.

    When 'rien' is the subject, it starts the sentence, but 'ne' is still required before the verb.

  5. Je n'ai rien de spécial à faire.

    I have nothing special to do.

    Word by Word: I [ne] have nothing of special to do.

    Notice the use of 'de' before the adjective 'spécial'. The adjective remains masculine singular.

  6. Elle ne pense à rien.

    She is thinking about nothing.

    Word by Word: She [ne] thinks to nothing.

    When 'rien' is the object of a preposition like à, it follows the preposition.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'rien' after the past participle in compound tenses.

    Je n'ai vu rien.
    Je n'ai rien vu.

    In compound tenses like the passé composé, 'rien' must come before the past participle, not after it.

  • Omitting 'de' or changing the adjective gender after 'rien'.

    Il n'y a rien nouvelle.
    Il n'y a rien de nouveau.

    You must use 'de' before an adjective following 'rien', and the adjective must always be masculine singular.

  • Forgetting 'ne' when 'Rien' is the subject.

    Rien est prêt.
    Rien n'est prêt.

    Even if 'Rien' starts the sentence, the verb still needs the 'ne' part of the negation in standard French.

How It Connects

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

ne...rienLevel 2Nothing with Ne...rien

Learn This First

To understand 'ne...rien', you first need to be familiar with the basic French negation structure ('ne...pas') because 'rien' simply replaces 'pas' while maintaining the same position. You also need a basic grasp of verb conjugation to know where to place the negation markers, and understanding the interrogative 'what' helps contextualize 'nothing' as its negative answer.

Words in This Pattern

rien