né...né
Correlative Negation (Né...né)
Use né...né to connect two things you are negating (e.g., 'neither bread nor water'). If the pair comes after the verb, you must also use non before the verb.
How It Works
The correlative negation né...né is the standard way to say 'neither...nor' in Italian. It can link nouns, adjectives, verbs, or entire phrases.
1. The 'Non' Rule
The most important rule for English speakers is the placement of non:
- After the verb: You MUST use non.
Example: Non mangio né carne né pesce. - Before the verb: You do NOT use non.
Example: Né Marco né Luca hanno fame.
2. Spelling and Pronunciation
Always use the acute accent: né. Using a grave accent (nè) or no accent (ne) is a common spelling error. In speech, né triggers a phonetic doubling of the following consonant (e.g., né tu sounds like né t-tu).
3. Multiple Items
While usually a pair, you can repeat né for longer lists: Non voglio né questo, né quello, né quell'altro.
4. Subject-Verb Agreement
When né...né subjects come before the verb, the verb is plural (Né io né lui andiamo). If the verb comes first, it is often singular in modern Italian (Non è venuto né lui né lei), though plural is also correct.
Examples (4)
- Non ho né fame né sete.
I am neither hungry nor thirsty.
Word by Word: Not I-have neither hunger nor thirst.
Since the 'né...né' pair follows the verb 'ho', the negative particle 'non' is required at the start.
- Né lui né lei sanno la verità.
Neither he nor she knows the truth.
Word by Word: Neither he nor she know the truth.
When the subjects come before the verb, 'non' is omitted and the verb is plural.
- Non voglio né studiare né lavorare oggi.
I want neither to study nor to work today.
Word by Word: Not I-want neither to-study nor to-work today.
Here, 'né' is used to link two infinitive verbs in a negative context.
- Il vestito non è né rosso né arancione.
The dress is neither red nor orange.
Word by Word: The dress not is neither red nor orange.
This shows 'né...né' linking two adjectives to describe a noun.
Common Mistakes
Omitting 'non' when 'né...né' follows the verb.
Voglio né tè né caffè.Non voglio né tè né caffè.In Italian, if the negative expression follows the verb, the verb must be preceded by 'non' to maintain negative concord.
Using the wrong accent or no accent.
Non ho ne fame ne sete.Non ho né fame né sete.Without the acute accent, 'ne' is a partitive pronoun. 'Né' (neither) always requires the accent.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn 'né...né', you first need to understand basic negation with 'non'. Since 'né...né' acts as a conjunction, familiarity with other basic conjunctions is helpful. Finally, understanding the Italian system of double negatives (where 'non' is required before the verb when a negative word follows it) is essential for correct sentence structure.
- e / ma / o / perché / quindiBasic Conjunctions
Understanding basic conjunctions is necessary to grasp how 'né...né' functions as a correlative conjunction connecting two elements.
Level 1 - Double Negation System
This pattern establishes the systematic rule of double negatives in Italian, which is the same grammatical structure used for 'non... né... né'.
Level 2
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice né...né in Bubblegum
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