Negation + verb

To negate a verb, the negative particle ne is used:

alone (but very rarely) –

Si ce n'est de garder cette bonne habitude d'avoir toujours une bouteille d'eau à portée de main = unless it is to keep this good habit of always having a bottle of water to hand

in conjunction with another item which may be

a negative particle –

Monogamie ne rime pas avec monotonie = monogamy and monotony are not the same thing

a pronoun –

Personne ne veut provoquer un oedème des cordes vocales et une laryngite chronique – ne fumez donc pas– no one wants to cause oedema of the vocal cords and chronic laryngitis – so don't smoke

a determiner –

D'autres objets ne doivent en aucun cas être introduits dans la bouche de l'enfant = under no circumstances must other objects be placed in the child's mouth

an adverb –

Un tiers des couples français ne font plus l'amour = a third of French couples no longer make love

All these items require ne when negating a verb – except in informal French when the ne is often dropped – see 431. However, when they are used without a verb, they still retain their negative values; in other words, personne = no one (but une personne = a person), aucun = no, none, jamais = never (but in certain circumstances, it can also = ever).